Kehinde Fajobi
Detained human rights lawyer and activist, Mr Dele Farotimi, has denied sending anyone to plead with elder statesman, Chief Afe Babalola, SAN, who took him to court for defamation.
Farotimi, currently standing trial in Ekiti State, reportedly made this clarification following suggestions that Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, visited Afe Babalola to appeal on his behalf.
Speaking on the Sunday edition of Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, Farotimi’s lawyer, Mr Tope Temokun, said he visited the activist at the Ado-Ekiti correctional facility on Friday to clarify the situation.
Temokun said: “I visited Mr Dele Farotimi in a correctional service in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, yesterday afternoon.
“The events of the recent days; the visit of Mr Peter Obi, the (2023) presidential candidate of the Labour Party, to Aare Afe Babalola; his visit to Mr Dele Farotimi, created some lack of clarity; people are not so clear about some things; people are not clear about what is going on.
“It is based on this that I had to visit him yesterday, and we sat together and had a good discussion.
“I told him (Farotimi): the reason I am here is to confirm from you, ‘What do you think should be done?’ The visit of Mr Peter Obi to you in person and the subsequent visit to Aare Afe Babalola: What do you know about it? What is your message to Aare Afe Babalola? What is your message to the people outside? What is also your message to me as part of your legal team?”
According to Temokun, Farotimi categorically denied sending anyone to beg Afe Babalola, stating: “If anybody who is familiar with his antecedents, with his principles, with his philosophy over time should join anybody to believe that in a matter where he had written a book that he had published and that had been in circulation, that if anybody, or somebody should join others to believe that he has sent anybody to beg anybody, he said he will be so disappointed in that person.
“He told me categorically that even you, Tope, if you join anybody to believe that I could beg anybody or that I have sent anybody to beg anybody, I will be so disappointed in you.”
Meanwhile, some of Farotimi’s associates have called for his release, condemning what they described as irregularities in his arrest and detention.
In a statement titled ‘Unlawful arrest and detention of Mr Dele Farotimi: A call for justice’, Mr Taiwo Akinlami, speaking on behalf of the group, said Farotimi’s arrest reflected “a troubling disregard for procedural fairness and the rule of law.”
The statement read: “We, the associates of Mr Dele Farotimi, a distinguished author and legal practitioner, are deeply troubled by the blatant violations of his rights following his recent arrest and detention.
“Mr Dele Farotimi, author of Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System, has become the target of criminal and civil litigations tied to his book. Despite his willingness to address these issues legally, his recent arrest and detention reflect a troubling disregard for procedural fairness and the rule of law.”
The group expressed concern about the toll the situation has taken on Farotimi’s family, particularly his 76-year-old mother, who has already suffered the loss of one child.
They also called for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his arrest.
Akinlami said: “We condemn the misuse of state resources and apparatus to persecute Mr Farotimi and call on the Nigerian authorities to facilitate the immediate release of Mr Farotimi on bail; investigate.
“This case is a test of the integrity of Nigeria’s justice system. We urge all individuals and organizations committed to justice, fairness, and the rule of law to join us in advocating for Mr Farotimi’s rights and freedom.”