How collective voices of Nigerians saved my life

Nigerian human rights activist and lawyer Dele Farotimi has attributed his release from 20-day detention to the collective support of Nigerians, and lauded their unity in demanding Justice.

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Premium Times reported that Mr Farotimi was released from the correctional facility in Ekiti State on Tuesday after meeting the bail conditions granted him in a case where he faces criminal charges of defaming senior lawyer Afe Babalola in his book, ‘Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System’.

In his Amazon best-seller book, Mr Farotimi accuses Mr Babalola, a Senior Nigerian advocate and founder of the Afe Babalola University Ado Ekiti, of corrupting Nigeria’s Supreme Court in service of his clients.

Subsequently, the police charged him with 16 counts of criminal defamation, leading to his arraignment before the Chief Magistrate’s Court in Ado Ekiti. In addition, he faced 12 counts of cybercrime at the Federal High Court in Ado Ekiti. Mr Babalola petitioned the police in Ekiti State, citing 31 excerpts from the book, which he alleged defamed him.

The author also faces cybercrime charges at the Federal High Court in Ado Ekiti.

Thank you Nigerians

On Sunday, breaking his silence by posting a YouTube video titled “The Walk to Freedom,” Mr Farotimi expressed his profound gratitude to Nigerians. He highlighted the power of collective action, attributing his freedom to the voices of Nigerians who rallied for his release. This collective action, he emphasised, is a testament to the power of the people when they unite for a common cause.

“I thank you. I thank each and every one of you. I am deeply grateful for what you all did: the calls to my family, the amazing show of support, and it’s easy for me to speak with specificity to certain persons. We stopped being humans 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”.

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The 57-year-old also reflected on his experience, describing his detention as an “abduction” rather than a lawful arrest.

“For my release. I appreciate you all. I must say in all humility that you are the one who came out of prison. It wasn’t me. You came out of prison. You found your voice. You demanded that the right thing be done consistently. You made sure that I knew I wasn’t walking alone. You found your voice. I became you. And in our collective, in our collective, you couldn’t be silenced, and I could not be silenced.

‘‘Your voice has strengthened me because I heard you even beyond the walls of the prison. I heard you loud and clear. You left nobody in any doubt as to what you were demanding. It wasn’t about the deference to me, even though I was the one who bore your totem. It was essentially a demand by each of you that the law be allowed to rule in this situation,’’ he stated.

Acknowledgements

Describing his experience as both humbling and revealing, Mr Farotimi lauded Nigerians for setting aside religious, ethnic, and political divisions to demand justice and acknowledged prominent figures for securing his release.

“You all spoke as one, and because of that, Nigeria couldn’t happen to me. I could say, for instance, that Mr Peter Obi came to the prison to see me.

“I should say thanks to him for that. And then there is my brother, Omoyele Sowore. Not only did he call my family, as he called them, but he mobilised the AAC and the revolution now movement behind the demand for my release. Everybody, there is a show of support across the entire strata of our society. It’s humbling,’’ he said.

The human rights lawyer known for his outspoken stance on justice and good governance highlighted the systemic flaws in Nigeria’s judicial system, urging Nigerians to unite and demand meaningful reforms.

He vowed to pursue legal actions against those responsible for his detention and reaffirmed his commitment to advocating for justice and citizens’ rights.

He said: ‘‘I’m not going to be a citizen. I will be seeking legal relief and redress against everyone involved in my adoption. I shall defend every one of the many civil and criminal suits that have been filed against me rigorously. When we are done, I shall be writing petitions to the LPDC. I want to ensure that some lawyers never practice law in this country again. Let us be clear’’.

READ ALSO: Dele Farotimi leaves prison after 20 days of detention

Prison life

Mr Farotimi also shared his prison experience in the video while narrating how much of an expose it was.

‘‘I was happy about the free accommodation. I didn’t like the food and didn’t have to eat it. So, I’m not talking about me in some pity form. I went to prison, and I view it as a finishing school. It showed me exactly how ugly our country is. Because we have so many high-profile cases, the internet has brought its own to all of us.

‘‘Let’s talk about Naomi, the former queen. Let’s talk about the proprietress of that school in the bible. Precisely, what they have done has ended their need to be in prison. We should ask that question not because of them but because of the many other persons without names that you and I do not know who are languishing in prison.’’ he said.

Farotimi’s book, published on 2 July, initially experienced modest sales until his arrest in December. Within 24 hours, it topped Amazon’s bestseller list in the elections category.

The surge in sales was driven by heightened public interest, especially among younger readers newly introduced to Mr Farotimi, indicating a growing interest in Nigeria’s human rights and justice issues.