Whether it’s the police that I have to be sued, whether it’s the magistrate who sent me to prison, whether it’s the persons who wrote the petition, whether it’s whoever, but somebody would explain. I will certainly be demanding an account from those who sent me to prison.
Dele Farotimi, a human rights lawyer, has announced plans to seek legal action against those responsible for his arrest and detention in connection with a defamation case filed by senior lawyer Afe Babalola.
Farotimi was arrested by Lagos police in December 2024 and transported to Ekiti State, where he faced defamation charges over comments in his book, “Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System.”
A magistrate court had ordered his 21-day remand. Although Babalola later withdrew the case, Farotimi intends to sue, citing the misuse of state power for private interests as the basis for his action.
He argues that using state machinery for personal vendettas undermines justice and human rights. Farotimi’s case highlights concerns about the abuse of power and the need for accountability in the application of the law.
On Channels Television’s Sunday Politics program, Dele Farotimi shared his perspective, saying, “To be frank with you, when you use the word peace, let me continue to reassert that I was always at peace.
“But when it comes to demanding an account of those who have perverted the powers of the state in pursuit of a private cause, you can be certain of one thing: some people will account for my incarceration, but that is not a matter for banter. That is something for the courts to decide.
“So even though the criminal suit has been withdrawn, the civil suits are there, and what I would like to do in response to my incarceration is another ball game entirely, but you can take it to the bank. I will certainly be demanding an account from those who sent me to prison.
“Whether it’s the police that I have to be sued, whether it’s the magistrate who sent me to prison, whether it’s the persons who wrote the petition, whether it’s whoever, but somebody would explain.”
IREPORT247NEW recall what Farotimi revealed on Sunday’s talk with Toyin Falola which had as its theme “Politics, Law, and Society,” that even though the police had dropped the criminal charges against him after Babalola retracted his petition, he was still the target of four civil lawsuits from various states, all of which were brought by Babalola’s legal team.
Farotimi said, “My inability to speak to certain aspects of this issue is borne out of the fact that, despite the discontinuation of the criminal proceeding, I still have four suits that I am aware of, in four different states of the federation, filed by members of the same law office, against my person.
“I did not sit down in a beer parlour; I was not at an officers’ mess; I was not gossiping. It was not idle, cheap talk. I wrote a book.
“This is not a trial of Dele Farotimi. Let nobody make that error. It is a trial of the legal system that we have built as a collective.
“Chief Afe Babalola is more than old enough to be my father. I did not set out to destroy the man or to tarnish his image.
“Nothing personal. I was writing about the institution of the judiciary.
“Multiple names were mentioned in the book, and offices were mentioned. I did not set out to libel anybody. I simply told the truth of what I saw.
“All I did was write a book. Maybe we have become too accustomed to lie and allergic to truth, to the point where telling the truth has become a sin.