Human rights lawyer Dele Farotimi has reportedly been arrested by operatives of the Nigerian Police Force over allegations of defaming Tony Elumelu, the Chief Executive Officer of the United Bank for Africa (UBA).
The arrest was revealed by Omoyele Sowore, the 2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), in a post on his X handle on Tuesday. Sowore disclosed that Elumelu had filed a petition accusing Farotimi of defamation.
In his post, Sowore called for Farotimi’s immediate release, criticizing the use of the police to settle personal disputes. He wrote:
“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. It is pertinent that the Nigerian police are notified that the institution cannot continue to be used to settle personal scores, and we, the citizens of Nigeria, would no longer tolerate such a situation. Therefore, the police at Zone 2 in Lagos are advised to release Barrister Dele Farotimi immediately.”