Peter Obi Under Fire For ‘Begging’ Afe Babalola Over Dele Farotimi’s Abduction, Cybercrime Trial
Nigerian human rights activist and convener of #RevolutionNow movement, Omoyele Sowore, has criticised the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, for his actions regarding the arrest and remand of human rights lawyer, Dele Farotimi, by the Nigerian police.
Sowore condemned Obi for reportedly pleading with Afe Babalola, SAN, the legal luminary involved in Farotimi’s detention, asserting that it was “colossal injustice” to the fight against judicial corruption.
Sowore, in a statement posted Monday on his X handle, expressed his outrage over Peter Obi’s visit to Afe Babalola, who allegedly used the Nigerian police to abduct Farotimi from Lagos to Ekiti State, detaining him on charges related to cybercrime.
Sowore argued that Obi’s actions were a setback to efforts aimed at eliminating judicial corruption in Nigeria, likening it to a betrayal of justice.
He compared Obi’s behaviour to forcing Rosa Parks to return to the back of the bus during the American civil rights struggle, a powerful metaphor underscoring Sowore’s condemnation of Obi’s intervention in the case.
“I condemn those who went to “beg” Chief Afe Babalola today over the unjust detention and persecution of @DeleFarotimi; the delegation led by @PeterObi did colossal injustice to the struggle to drain the swamp of judicial criminality in our country; Obi’s action is like forcing Rosa Parks to return to back of the bus of racial injustice during the civil rights era in the US! The struggle continues! #RevolutionNow #FreeDeleFarotimiNow.”
Icondemn those who went to “beg” Chief Afe Babalola today over the unjust detention and persecution of @DeleFarotimi; the delegation led by @PeterObi did colossal injustice to the struggle to drain the swamp of judicial criminality in our country; Obi’s action is like forcing…
Earlier on Monday, it was reported that the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) was also condemned after human rights lawyer and activist, Dele Farotimi, was seen handcuffed during his court appearance on Monday in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.
The handcuffs on Farotimi generated backlashes online, with many Nigerians questioning why such measures were applied to Farotimi, who is known for his advocacy for free speech, while high-profile political figures accused of massive corruption appeared in court without similar treatment.
Farotimi had appeared before the court on Monday following charges brought against him by Afe Babalola SAN under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act, 2015.
Many Nigerians took to social media to express outrage, calling the incident a demonstration of the selective application of justice in the country.
Meanwhile, some human rights activists compared Farotimi’s treatment to that of former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello, who has been accused of misappropriating over N100 billion in public funds.
Despite the gravity of the allegations against Bello, he has not been subjected to such visible restraints during court proceedings.
Human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, condemned the NCS action.
“Why is Dele Farotimi in handcuffs, while Yahaya Bello, the former governor of Kogi State accused of siphoning over N100 billion, is not?” another X user said.
Others argued that the incident explained a broader issue in Nigeria’s justice system, where free speech is treated as a threat.
Critics contend that this reflects a crackdown on dissenting voices while powerful political figures accused of grave financial misconduct often escape such public humiliation.
Ettu Mohammad on his Facebook wrote, “A man who allegedly cornered over N100billion belonging to Kogi is walking freely without cuffs while the other person who was accused of defamation is walking with handcuff.”
