Human rights lawyer Dele Farotimi has accused powerful Nigerians and legal professionals of conspiring with the country’s security agencies to have him abducted.
He claims that his life, as well as that of his close associates, is currently under threat, alleging that unnamed individuals are working to silence him.
In a statement made available to journalists on Tuesday, Farotimi recounted how, on November 11, he received information about an invitation letter from the Zone 2 Police Command, which was delivered to his office. The letter instructed him to report to the station on November 13 at 10:00 AM.
On the scheduled date, Farotimi arrived at the police station at 9:45 AM, accompanied by his legal counsel. He was then presented with a petition written by Chief Afe Babalola, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, accusing him of defaming his client.
Farotimi stated that, despite finding the petition unfounded, he addressed its contents. He then met with the Deputy Commissioner of Police and the Assistant Inspector-General in charge of Zone 2. After discussions, he was granted bail on self-recognition and asked to return to the station on November 21, 2024.
Following the incident, Farotimi informed his friend, Pastor Sam Aiyedogbon of Realm of Glory International Churches. On November 16, Pastor Sam told him that one of his church pastors, John Ntekume, had been abducted by the police, interrogated, and later released. Ntekume was reportedly coerced into writing a statement along with another pastor, Obiorah Ochokwu. The police allegedly showed them a petition from Chief Afe Babalola, addressed to the Ekiti State Police Command, and instructed them to lure Farotimi to the church to facilitate his arrest.
However, the pastors told the police they had no means of fulfilling this request, explaining that Farotimi was not a hidden figure and that he had only preached at their church as a guest of their senior pastor. The police officers were identified as coming from the Ekiti State Police Command.
Farotimi expressed his confusion over the police’s attempts to entrap him, especially since he had already reported to Zone 2 on November 13 and was due to return on November 21.
