A PDP leader, Gbe Benjamin Orduen, has condemned the arrest of Dele Farotimi, describing it as an abuse of powerFarotimi, accused of defaming Afe Babalola, was remanded in prison by a magistrate’s court in Ado Ekiti after being seized in Lagos Orduen criticized Nigeria’s justice system for disregarding freedom of expression, calling for urgent reforms to ensure equal protection under the law
A prominent PDP leader, Gbe Benjamin Orduen, has criticized Nigeria’s Inspector General of Police (IGP) and legal luminary Afe Babalola over the arrest of Dele Farotimi, a lawyer and activist known for his outspoken views.
Henzodaily.ng had reported how a chief magistrate’s court in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti state capital, on Wednesday, December 4, remanded Obi’s ally, Farotimi, in prison over alleged defamation of Afe Babalola, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and founder of Afe Babalola University Ado Ekiti (ABUAD).
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PDP chieftain reacts as Dele Farotimi speads days in detention
Photo credit: Dele Farotimi/Aare Afe Babalola
Source: Twitter
Farotimi, a ‘retired’ lawyer, was seized at an office in Lagos and transported to Ekiti state.
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.
Reacting to this development in an exclusive conversation with Henzodaily.ng, Orduen described Farotimi’s arrest as a misuse of power to suppress dissent and silence critical voices.
The PDP stalwart accused influential figures of exploiting the country’s flawed legal system to intimidate critics.
“In a democracy, freedom of expression is sacrosanct, yet Nigeria’s justice system repeatedly shows zero regard for this principle,” he said.
He added that the system increasingly operates as a “tool for intimidation and silencing critics.”
He further noted,
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“The notion that writing a book or expressing an opinion can lead to such heavy-handed consequences is a mockery of justice and freedom.”
Itopa calls for urgent reform
He urged immediate reforms to ensure equality before the law.
“It is high time for urgent reforms to ensure that the rule of law protects all citizens equally, rather than perpetuating a culture of oppression and fear,” he said.
Afe Babalola speaks on wrongs of Dele Farotimi
Earlier, Henzodaily.ng reported that Aare Afe Babalola, a renowned Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and founder of Afe Babalola University (ABU), has claimed that lawyer and activist Dele Farotimi defamed him in a book published recently.
According to reports released on Thursday, December 5, the accusation stemmed from a Supreme Court judgment involving a two-decade-old land dispute.
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Source: Henzodaily.ng