Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has described the arrest and detention of a Lagos-based lawyer and human rights advocate, Dele Farotimi, as a grim reminder of the darkish days of navy dictatorship when the iron fist of tyranny sought to crush all dissents.
The previous presidential candidate of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Get together (PDP) in a press assertion on Farotmi’s arrest, additionally reminded the Bola Tinubu administration that the repeated acts of arrest stand in direct contradiction to the rules of democracy.
He mentioned freedom of speech and affiliation aren’t privileges however constitutionally enshrined rights, including that if anybody feels wronged by defamatory phrases, they’re free to hunt redress within the courts, not by the hands of the state’s enforcers.
Recall that Farotimi was arrested at his regulation agency in Lagos on Tuesday and detained by Ekiti State Police Command over an alleged act of defamation.
Reacting to the event, Atiku mentioned, “The arrest and detention of lawyer and human rights advocate, Dele Farotimi, is unequivocally condemned. It serves as a grim reminder of the darkish days of navy dictatorship when the iron fist of tyranny sought to crush all dissent. I’m made conscious that Dele is being accused of defamation — an offense that, beneath regular circumstances, shouldn’t warrant the involvement of regulation enforcement. The Police’s intervention in such issues is nothing lower than using a sledgehammer to swat a fly, an overreach of unimaginable proportions.
“This alarming pattern, notably the latest abduction — or relatively, the arrest — of Dele Farotimi, is emblematic of this administration’s insidious agenda to suffocate the elemental proper to free expression. The goal is evident: to intimidate and harass residents, notably those that oppose the regime and the press, thus paving the way in which for the institution of a one-party state. It’s crucial to remind the Tinubu administration that these repeated acts of arrest stand in direct contradiction to the rules of democracy.
“Freedom of speech and affiliation aren’t privileges however constitutionally enshrined rights. If anybody feels wronged by defamatory phrases, they’re free to hunt redress within the courts, not by the hands of the state’s enforcers. It’s an appalling abuse of energy to make use of the Police as a software for private vendettas.
“In 2019, I used to be defamed. I didn’t contain the Police to flex muscle tissues and intimidate the defaming citizen, however I took the case to courtroom the place I’m presently looking for reliefs for the accidents to my identify and integrity. Due to this fact, I name for the fast and unconditional launch of Dele Farotimi.”
