Human rights lawyer and activist, Dele Farotimi, has addressed the public for the first time following his release from custody earlier this month.
Farotimi was arrested on December 3, 2024, in Lagos and charged before an Ekiti State Magistrate Court for allegedly defaming legal icon Afe Babalola in his book, Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System.
On December 4, Magistrate Abayomi Adeosun ordered Farotimi’s remand in prison custody. Days later, on December 6, the Nigeria Police filed an additional 12-count charge against the activist.
After weeks in custody, Farotimi was granted bail on December 20, 2024.
The court set his bail at N30 million, ordered him to submit his international passport, and restrained him from granting media interviews pending the determination of the case.
In a video circulating on social media on Sunday, December 29, Farotimi expressed gratitude to the public for rallying together to secure his freedom.
He said, “We stopped being human because we became Nigerians. They divided us, and we fell for it. Because you wouldn’t see me as a Yoruba man, you spoke for me.
“Because you wouldn’t see me as a Christian, you spoke for me.
Because you spoke, Nigeria couldn’t happen to me. The only reason Nigeria couldn’t happen to me is because you spoke. You found your voices, I became you. And in our collective, you couldn’t be silent.”
Farotimi’s statement has since sparked widespread reactions, with many commending his resilience and the solidarity of Nigerians in seeking justice for him.
The case against him is still pending in court.
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