Former Vice President and PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has condemned the arrest and detention of human rights lawyer Dele Farotimi, accusing President Bola Tinubu’s administration of attempting to stifle free speech and suppress dissent.
In a statement, Atiku likened Farotimi’s arrest to the repressive tactics of Nigeria’s military dictatorship era, criticizing the use of law enforcement in what he deemed a civil matter of defamation. Atiku argued that defamation should not be handled through criminal law, calling the involvement of the police an “overreach of unimaginable proportions.”
He further accused the administration of trying to intimidate critics and create a climate of fear, warning that such actions were undermining democratic principles and paving the way for authoritarian rule. Atiku emphasized that the courts, not the police, should be the appropriate venue for addressing defamation and other civil matters.
The PDP leader called for Farotimi’s immediate release, urging the government to cease using law enforcement for political purposes. Farotimi’s arrest has sparked widespread criticism from activists, civil society groups, and opposition leaders, who see it as part of a broader crackdown on free expression in Nigeria.