By Jesusemen Oratokhai
Prominent human rights lawyer, Dele Farotimi, was arrested by the Nigerian Police Force following a defamation complaint allegedly filed by Tony Elumelu, the CEO of United Bank for Africa (UBA).
Omoyele Sowore, a former presidential candidate and activist, revealed the arrest on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Tuesday.
According to Sowore, Elumelu accused Farotimi of defamation in a petition to the police, which led to the arrest.
Sowore condemned the action, calling it an abuse of police authority for personal disputes.
He stated, “I just learned that Dele Farotimi was arrested by the Nigerian Police over a petition by Tony Elumelu of UBA Group alleging Dele defamed him.
The police must stop allowing themselves to be used to settle private scores. Nigerians won’t tolerate this any longer.”
The arrest occurred at the Zone 2 Police Command in Lagos, and Sowore has called for Farotimi’s immediate release.
The incident has sparked significant debate among legal and activist communities, with many questioning whether the matter should have been handled through civil litigation instead of criminal proceedings.
As of now, neither the Nigerian Police nor representatives of Tony Elumelu have issued statements regarding the situation.
