Lagos-based lawyer and activist, Dele Farotimi has announced plans to sue those responsible for his arrest and detention in December 2024, which stemmed from a now-withdrawn defamation case filed by senior lawyer Afe Babalola, SAN
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Farotimi accused authorities of abusing state power to settle a personal score.
He declared his intent to seek justice, saying, “I will certainly be demanding an account from those who sent me to prison.”
Farotimi was arrested by the police in Lagos and transported to Ekiti State, where he faced defamation charges over statements in his book Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System. A magistrate court subsequently ordered his remand for 21 days.
Although Babalola later withdrew the case, effectively ending the criminal proceedings, Farotimi insists that the matter is far from over. He emphasized that accountability must be pursued beyond the withdrawal of the lawsuit.
“Even though the criminal suit has been withdrawn, the civil suits are there, and what I would like to do in response to my incarceration is another ball game entirely,” he said. “You can be certain that some people will account for my incarceration, but that is not a matter for banter. That is something for the courts to decide.”
When asked who he planned to sue, Farotimi said the decision would be guided by his legal team but made it clear that anyone involved in the misuse of state authority could be held liable.
“Whether it’s the police that I have to sue, whether it’s the magistrate who sent me to prison, whether it’s the persons who wrote the petition, whether it’s whoever, but somebody would explain,” he stated.
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