Pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, on Wednesday, condemned in strong terms the continued incarceration of human rights activist/lawyer, Mr Dele Farotimi, without trial, demanding his immediate and unconditional release.
Besides, Afenifere demanded that investigation should be conducted into the circumstances surrounding his abduction and travails in the hands of his abductors.
Farotimi, it would be recalled, was recently abducted from his Lagos home and taken to Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, where he is standing trial for alleged defamation against Chief Afe Babalola (SAN).
Deputy Leader of Afenifere, Oba Oladipo Olaitan, made the call at a world press conference, which held at Lekki residence of Chief Ayo Adebanjo, even as he condemned the delay in granting bail to Farotimi, pointing out that such had confirmed the fears of well-meaning people all over the world that these processes were driven by extraneous considerations outside the facts and laws in respect of the petition on which the Police and the Chief Magistrate in Ekiti were hinging their actions.
Speaking at the briefing, titled: “World Press Conference on the travails of democracy, the grievous curtailment of free speech and the deprivation of the constitutional right to personal liberty exemplified in the abduction, detention, and incarceration of foremost human/civil rights activist and Lawyer, Mr. Dele Farotimi,” and attended by
Chief Supo Sonibare, Mr. Alade Rotimi, Prince Justice Faloye, Mrs. Adenike Olujembola, Chairman, Lagos Afenifere, and Chief Olatunde Onakoya, Oba Olaitan declared that Farotimi must have his day in court, saying that he cannot be unjustly incarcerated and as such his rights must be similarly protected.
“The delay in granting bail to Mr. Farotimi has confirmed the fears of well-meaning people all over the world that these processes are driven by extraneous considerations outside the facts and laws in respect of the petition on which the police and the Chief Magistrate in Ekiti are hinging their actions.
“Even as the burden of proof of the charge against Mr. Farotimi is on the prosecution and as the accused person is presumed innocent by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) Afenifere charges the police to redeem its integrity by promptly terminating its prosecution of a matter for which the law does not empower it.
“Afenifere, therefore, calls for the immediate unconditional release of Mr. Farotimi and for the investigation of the circumstances surrounding his abduction and travails in the hands of his abductors,” he said.
Afenifere deputy leader said it was appalling the manner in which Farotimi was arrested by police from his residence in Lagos and taken to Ekiti State, saying that the report of taking him out of Lagos to Ekiti State for trial was not reported at any police station in Lagos, a procedure which he said was against the law of the country.
“As demanded by the rules, the arrest was neither logged nor booked in any Lagos Police station where the arrest took place. Instead, Mr. Farotimi was summarily transported to Ekiti State, bypassing all established protocols.
“Critical questions have been raised about the integrity of the police operation and the motivations behind it. The increasing practice of arresting people in a state and transporting (rendering) them out of state often without the knowledge of the relatives of those arrested and also charged in a state other than the state of normal residence of the suspect needs to be stopped.
“The practice exerts undue mental agony and expense on the accused person and their families who are often left wondering for hours or days about the safety and whereabouts of their loved ones.
“The police must stop this practice. It is a loophole that can be exploited by criminals who may be tempted to disguise their crimes by acting out their nefarious activities by imitating rogue police operations.
“Anyone arrested must know the authority undertaking the arrest, why and if to be taken out of a state must be logged at a police station nearest the suspect’s residence or office. Respecting the accused’s right of presumption of innocence, the person arrested must be treated with dignity and must be allowed to contact his relations or lawyer to inform them of his whereabouts. Nothing short is required of a civilized country by its citizens,” Oba Olaitan said.
This was just as he condemned outrightly the manner in which Farotimi was brought to court in handcuffs, saying that it was a clear attempt to humiliate him.
The monarch, while calling for immediate and unconditional release of Farotimi and investigation of the circumstances surrounding his abduction and travails in the hands of his abductors, noted that the overzealousness with which some of the parties had acted and the errors of judgment committed by them, in this case, could validate Farotimi’s portrayal of the justice system.
This was just as he affirmed that Afenifere believed that Chief Afe Babalola, like every citizen, had a right to defend his reputation if injured to the full extent of the law but quickly said such should not be pursued “outside the strictures of the law.”
“We must note that the overzealouness with which some of the parties have acted and the errors of judgment committed by them in this case could validate Farotimi’s portrayal of the justice system.
“Afenifere believes that Chief Afe Babalola, like every citizen, has a right to defend his reputation if injured to the full extent of the law but not outside the strictures of the law. Therefore, Dele Farotimi must have his day in court. He cannot be unjustly incarcerated. His rights must be similarly protected,” he said.
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