A former spokesman to former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Laolu Akande, has condemned the manner of arrest of human rights lawyer, Dele Farotimi, from his Lagos office to Ekiti State.
Akande said the desire of Afe Babalola to resort to the use of Ekiti Police to arrest Farotimi in Lagos and the unfolding events was troubling.
Osinbajo’s aide noted that while Babalola has the right to seek redress for rights violations, the manner of using state instruments to manoeuvre the process may dent his public image.
“One would like to react to the recent harassment and arrest of Dele Farotimi. The recourse to criminal defamation by a legal luminary of Chief Afe Babalola’s standing is not inspiring at all. The matter ought to have been pursued via civil means.
“The Nigerian Court of Appeal in 1982 in the case of Nwankwo vs. State has opined that individuals ought not to use the instrument of state to fight their opponents. This is why Lagos & Edo states decriminalized defamation.
“Besides, it is truly disturbing to discover that our dear Pa. Afe may be behind that harassment of Farotimi. Something that we have all seen on video. The use of the Nigerian Police Force, mobilized from Ekiti to Lagos so as to escape from the fact that Lagos State has already decriminalized defamation is so inelegant,” Akande said.
On his X handle on Thursday, Akande noted that the manner Afe Babalola had resorted to in addressing his rights was unsettling.
“Pa Afe, SAN as he is fondly called, should consider the optics of what the world is witnessing unfold in this saga, in his name! The natural assumption, considering the speed and extent to which the police moved against Farotimi, is that there were some behind-the-scenes manoeuvres to warrant that. This is not to deny Pa. Afe’s right to seek redress. He is aggrieved, and we acknowledge his right to seek redress. This is without a doubt. It is his choice to exercise this right in the manner we have all seen that is unsettling! Troubling!!” Akande added.