Why Dele Farotimi Was Arrested And Transferred To Ekiti – Police

Ekiti State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of human rights lawyer and activist Dele Farotimi.

KanyiDaily recalls that Dele Farotimi had issued a statement alleging that police officers, reportedly from Ekiti, were planning to arrest him in Lagos over the content of a book he authored.

He claimed the police actions appeared more like an abduction attempt than a formal invitation for questioning.

Farotimi argued that any alleged offense occurred in Lagos, not Ekiti, and criticized the police for what he described as an abuse of power.

In a statement, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Abutu Sunday confirmed that Farotimi was arrested in Lagos on Tuesday under a warrant issued after the activist reportedly failed to honor previous requests for questioning.

Sunday said the lawyer was taken to the Ekiti State Police Command headquarters in Ado-Ekiti, where he is being interrogated for alleged defamation of character and cyberbullying.

The PPRO said, “The Ekiti State Police Command wishes to inform members of the public that one Mr Dele Farotimi is currently undergoing investigation following a petition written against him to the Office of the Commissioner of Police, Ekiti State Command for an allegation of defamation of character and cyberbullying.

“He was arrested today in Lagos with a warrant after all means deployed by the Command to bring him for interrogation proved abortive.

“He is currently in custody and will be arraigned as soon as investigation is concluded.”

The Ekiti State Commissioner of Police, Adeniran Akinwale, also commented on the arrest, stating that the allegations against Farotimi include defamation, cyberstalking, and other related offenses.

Akinwale said these accusations were “well established” and that the investigation would determine the activist’s level of culpability.

“We are investigating him (Farotimi). If the suspect is arrested, we will bring him for investigation. We will conduct our investigation and will be able to know his level of culpability or otherwise,” he said.

KanyiDaily recalls that the police recently arrested and arraigned 113 foreign nationals before the Federal High Court in Abuja.