Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has bemoaned the detention of Dele Farotimi, saying the human rights lawyer is languishing in prison for speaking truth to power.
Atiku said this in a statement on Tuesday on the occasion of the International Human Rights Day.
Farotimi has been remanded in prison custody by a chief magistrate’s court in Ekiti State for allegedly criminally defaming a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Afe Babalola.
The embattled activist pleaded not guilty to the charge when he was arraigned by police.
According to Atiku, Farotimi’s ordeal is a glaring example of the pervasive climate of impunity and rights violations in Nigeria.
“Dele Farotimi, 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 offence lies in his unflinching commitment to exposing the truths that the government and its collaborators would rather remain hidden,” Atiku said.
The 2023 presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said it was more troubling that Farotimi is being detained and prosecuted under the guise of a cyberbullying law that does not exist in Ekiti State.
“His plight serves as a poignant reflection of the pervasive climate of impunity and the blatant violation of citizens’ rights that has become all too common in Nigeria.
“Yet, perhaps the most alarming of all is the weaponisation of the cyberbullying law, which is being used as a tool to harass, intimidate, and silence dissenting voices in the opposition and the press,” he said.
Atiku stressed that on the solemn occasion of International Human Rights Day, leaders at every level of government must be reminded to honour the oaths they have sworn to protect and Atiku the constitutionally enshrined rights of the people.
“Only through this commitment can we hope to nurture and strengthen our democracy,” he said.
Daily Sun
