Dele Farotimi Vows To Seek Legal Redress Over Arrest And Detention

Human rights lawyer, Dele Farotimi, has vowed to take legal action against those responsible for his arrest and detention in December 2024 in connection with a now-withdrawn defamation case filed by senior lawyer, Afe Babalola.

In an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Farotimi expressed his intent to seek justice for what he described as the misuse of state power to pursue a private matter.

Naijaonpoint recalls that he was arrested by the police in Lagos and taken to Ekiti State, where he was charged with defamation over comments made in his book, Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System. A magistrate court subsequently ordered his remand for 21 days.

Although the defamation case was eventually withdrawn by Babalola, bringing an end to the legal dispute, Farotimi has made it clear that he will not let the matter rest.

The human rights lawyer intends to seek redress for his incarceration, stating, “I will certainly be demanding an account from those who sent me to prison.”

Farotimi emphasised the importance of accountability, stressing that his case was about more than just the withdrawal of the criminal suit.

“Even though the criminal suit has been withdrawn, the civil suits are there, and what I would like to do in response to my incarceration is another ball game entirely.

“You can be certain that some people will account for my incarceration, but that is not a matter for banter. That is something for the courts to decide,” he said.

When asked who he intended to sue, Farotimi stated that the decision would be left to his legal team. He explained that he was willing to hold anyone involved in the misuse of state power accountable.

“Whether it’s the police that I have to sue, 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,” Farotimi said.