Outrage as Dele Farotimi Appears in Court in Handcuffs – Afe Babalola Reacts

Prominent lawyer Afe Babalola expresses anger as activist Dele Farotimi is brought to court in handcuffs, sparking public outcry over the treatment of detainees.

Several Nigerians have voiced their outrage following the appearance of human rights activist Dele Farotimi in handcuffs at the Ekiti State High Court.

Officers of the Nigeria Police Force escorted Farotimi to court in handcuffs on Monday.

Farotimi was arrested last week in Lagos State by officers from the Ekiti State Police Command.

Farotimi was arrested as a result of a defamation lawsuit initiated by Chief Afe Babalola, who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

The senior lawyer, aged 95, accused Farotimi of defamation in his book titled “Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System.”

During his court appearance on Monday, Farotimi was released on bail with strict conditions.

The court granted bail to the rights activist, setting it at N50 million and requiring a surety of the same amount.

In response to Farotimi’s court appearance, activist lawyer Deji Adeyanju shared on X: “Shame on everyone involved in this embarrassment to the legal profession.”

A lawyer is in handcuffs due to defamation, not for armed robbery, kidnapping, or any other crime.

It’s no surprise that they kidnapped Dele Farotimi and brought him to Ekiti, where Baba Afe Babalola reigns supreme.

Inibehe Effiong, a human rights activist and lawyer, questioned why @CorrectionsNg chose to handcuff @DeleFarotimi while transporting him to the Federal High Court in Ado Ekiti for his arraignment this morning.

“This is outrageous. He posed no threat and did not resist being taken to court.”

“Dele Farotimi is being unjustly held for political reasons, and he will emerge even stronger.”

Rinu Oduala also shared their thoughts on the situation, writing: “Dele Farotimi is handcuffed for a non-existent legal offense. Is he being treated as a criminal or is this politically motivated imprisonment?”

“The Nigerian government needs to inform us. #FreeDeleFarotimiNow.”

Darey, a Twitter user, commented: “Afe Babalola had Dele Farotimi handcuffed for defamation—a civil matter. This highlights issues within Nigeria’s criminal justice system.”