Human rights advocate Dele Farotimi was arrested by the Ekiti State Police Command over alleged defamation and cyberbullying.
The police spokesperson, Sunday Abutu, confirmed the arrest, stating that it was based on a petition and that a warrant of arrest had been obtained.
Femi Falana, SAN, has called for Farotimi’s unconditional release, stating that Lagos State, where the arrest occurred, has decriminalized defamation.
Falana cited a Supreme Court ruling that confirmed defamation was decriminalized in Lagos in 2011 and in Edo State in 2020.
Peter Obi, the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, has also condemned the arrest, describing it as a misuse of police powers and an assault on democratic liberties.
Obi called for Farotimi’s immediate and unconditional release, emphasizing that the police must recognize their allegiance is to the Constitution and the people of Nigeria.
