Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has decried the detention of human rights lawyer and advocate, Dele Farotimi, saying he is languishing in prison for speaking truth to power.
Farotimi is being prosecuted before a chief magistrate’s court in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State for allegedly defaming a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Afe Babalola.
In a post on X to commemorate the International Human Rights Day, Abubakar said the lawyer’s arrest is a glaring example of the pervasive climate of impunity and rights violations in the country.
“Dele Farotimi now languishes in prison custody not for any crime but for the supposed ‘crime’ of persistently speaking truth to power,” the statement read.
“His only offense lies in his unflinching commitment to exposing the truths that the government and its collaborators would rather remain hidden,” Atiku stated.
He faulted the circumstances surrounding Farotimi’s incarceration, stressing that Farotimi is being prosecuted under a cyberbullying law that does not exist in Ekiti State.
To Atiku, the situation is a grave injustice and a violation of constitutional rights.
The former vice president also raised concerns about the misuse of the cyberbullying law, which he said has been weaponised to target dissenting voices, including those in the opposition and the press.
.@DeleFarotimi, a lawyer and tireless advocate for human rights, now languishes in prison custody not for any crime but for the supposed “crime” of persistently speaking truth to power. His only offense lies in his unflinching commitment to exposing the truths that the government…
— Atiku Abubakar (@atiku) December 10, 2024
“This is troubling. He is detained and prosecuted under the guise of a law that does not even exist in Ekiti State. This reflects the impunity that has become all too common in Nigeria,” he added.
“The weaponization of the cyberbullying law to harass, intimidate, and silence opposition voices and journalists is alarming. It is a blatant attack on freedom of expression and the principles of democracy,” he stated.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain also urged Nigerian leaders at all levels of government to recommit to their constitutional oaths to protect the rights of citizens. He stressed that only through such a commitment can the country’s democracy thrive.
“Let us remind our leaders that the protection and upholding of constitutionally enshrined rights are fundamental to nurturing and strengthening our democracy. This commitment must not waver,” he stated.
Dele Farotimi’s ordeal has attracted condemnation from human rights advocates and civil society groups, who see his case as emblematic of the challenges facing Nigeria’s democracy and rule of law.
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