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Nigerian human rights activist and 2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has criticised the prolonged judicial actions and abuse of power against human rights lawyer, Dele Farotimi, over defamation claims.
Sowore also criticised the Monday meeting between former Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and legal luminary, Afe Babalola, where Obi “begged” for Farotimi, noting that such gesture had only brought 10 more days of detention for the human rights lawyer.
A court ruling on Farotimi’s bail application on Tuesday was adjourned to December 20, leaving the lawyer in custody for another 10 days.
Farotimi, an outspoken advocate for social justice, was remanded on defamation charges.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, Sowore lambasted Labour Party’s Peter Obi for appealing to legal luminary, Afe Babalola on Farotimi’s behalf.
“See what begging has done,” Sowore wrote, implying that such actions undermine the fight against systemic judicial oppression.
“The ruling on @delefarotimi’s bail application was today adjourned till December 20.
“Dele Farotimi has been sent back to prison for the next 10 days. See what begging has done? #FreeDeleFarotimiNow,” Sowore said.
Sowore had on Monday 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.
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