Dele Farotimi: Video Shows Moment Peter Obi’s Top Campaigner Was Arrested by Police, Whisked Away

Dele Farotimi: Video Shows Moment Peter Obi’s Top Campaigner Was Arrested by Police, Whisked Away

  • CCTV footage shared by Aisha Yesufu shows the moment a Lagos-based activist, Dele Farotimi, was arrested by security operatives
  • Farotimi, who retired from law practice in 2018 'to avoid bowing to corrupt judges', was accused of defamation of character and cyberbullying
  • Nigerians have been reacting to the opposition figure's arrest, with some describing it as an "abduction"

Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering public affairs.

Lekki Phase 1, Lagos state - Activist Aisha Yesufu has shared a closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage showing the moment police operatives arrested and took away Dele Farotimi.

In the video, three policemen were seen effecting Farotimi’s arrest.

Dele Farotimi: CCTC footage shows arrest of popular activist by operatives of Nigerian police
A video showed the arrest of Dele Farotimi (right), accused of defamation. Photo credit: @PoliceNG, @DeleFarotimi
Source: Twitter

On Tuesday, December 3, Legit.ng reported the arrest of Farotimi, a human rights advocate and ally of presidential hopeful Peter Obi.

Farotimi, a 'retired' lawyer, was seized at an office in Lagos and transported to Ekiti state.

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On Tuesday morning, December 3, the opposition figure, who is vocal on social media, raised an alarm. He alleged that officers attached to the Ekiti state police command had perfected plans to "abduct" him from Lagos.

Farotimi accused the command of deploying questionable means to lure him for arrest despite honouring the invitation of Zone 2 police headquarters in Lagos a few weeks ago.

Multiple reports on Tuesday, December 3, said the police officers from Ekiti command were acting on another petition allegedly filed by Afe Babalola, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN).

According to sources, Farotimi's comments about Babalola were in a book published in Lagos and not Ekiti. The university founder was said to have deemed the former's remarks about him calumnious.

Following the controversial scene in Lagos on Tuesday, December 3, the Ekiti state police command confirmed Farotimi’s arrest.

Abutu Sunday, the police spokesperson in Ekiti, noted that Farotimi is undergoing interrogations at the command’s headquarters in Ado-Ekiti for allegations of defamation of character and cyberbullying.

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Police arrest popular human rights lawyer Farotimi over alleged defamation, video emerges

Sunday said:

“He (Farotimi) was arrested today in Lagos with a warrant after all means deployed by the Command to bring him for interrogation proved abortive.
“He is currently in custody and will be arraigned as soon as investigation is concluded.”

Watch the full video of Farotimi's arrest below:

Dele Farotimi calls out US

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Farotimi called out the United States' (US) supposed complicity in Nigeria's 'sorry' affairs.

Farotimi condemned the US for allegedly “helping to normalise the madness that has taken over” Nigeria.

Proofreading by James, Ojo Adakole, journalist and copy editor at Legit.ng.

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Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Ridwan Adeola avatar

Ridwan Adeola (Current Affairs Editor) Ridwan Adeola Yusuf is a content creator with more than nine years of experience, He is also a Current Affairs Editor at Legit.ng. He holds a Higher National Diploma in Mass Communication from the Polytechnic Ibadan, Oyo State (2014). Ridwan previously worked at Africa Check, contributing to fact-checking research works within the organisation. He is an active member of the Academic Excellence Initiative (AEI). In March 2024, Ridwan completed the full Google News Initiative Lab workshop and his effort was recognised with a Certificate of Completion. Email: ridwan.adeola@corp.legit.ng.