Human rights activist and founder of the #TakeItBack Movement, Omoyele Sowore, has mobilised a series of protests against the detention of Lagos-based lawyer and public affairs analyst, Dele Farotimi.
In a post on his social media handles on Thursday, Sowore shared a protest flyer and outlined plans for demonstrations set to take place on December 10, 2024, the day Farotimi was scheduled to appear before a Chief Magistrate’s Court in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti, for his bail hearing.
LEADERSHIP recalls that Farotimi was arrested in Lagos on Tuesday and arraigned in court on Wednesday over alleged defamation. The court ordered his remand at a correctional facility pending his bail hearing. The allegations stemmed from Farotimi’s book, ‘Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System,’ where he accused Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Aare Afe Babalola, of compromising the Ningerian Supreme Court.
In response to Farotimi’s detention, Sowore said the ‘Nationwide/Global Protest Against the Nigerian Judiciary,’ was to protest the alleged injustice. He called on Nigerians to rise against the perceived injustices in the judiciary, saying, “Nigerians refuse to be silenced.”
He gave details of the protest venues which include Lagos, at the Afe Babalola Chambers; Abuja, at the Federal Ministry of Justice; Ekiti State, at the Police Headquarters, Ado-Ekiti, and London at King’s College Campus.
Sowore elaborated on the Abuja protest, urging participants to gather at 7am at the Federal Ministry of Justice. “We must also occupy the entire Federal High Court Complex and then march on the Police HQ,” he wrote, emphasising that both institutions play critical roles in “crimes against humanity” in Nigeria.
He added, “The Abuja movement on December 10 is taking serious shape… Please arrive early! #FreeDeleFarotimi NOW!”
Sowore also promised updates on logistics, including mass transportation to Ado-Ekiti and details on the Lagos and London protests, declaring, “Enough is enough!”
Farotimi’s detention has sparked widespread outrage among Nigerians, with Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), activists, civil society groups, and netizens decrying the move as an attack on free speech and abuse of power, with many calling for his immediate release.