Falana reveals reason behind Dele Farotimi’s arrest

Human rights lawyer Femi Falana has disclosed that lawyer and activist Dele Farotimi was arrested for alleged criminal libel.

Falana, who said Farotimi was arrested in Lagos State on Tuesday, is demanding his unconditional release from illegal custody.

In a statement he signed, Falana said: “I just confirmed that Mr Dele Farotimi was arrested in Lagos today for alleged criminal libel. In demanding Mr Farotimi’s unconditional release from illegal custody, I wish to state, without any fear of contradiction, that Lagos State is among the two states in Nigeria that have decriminalised defamation in its entirety.

“In fact, the current state of the law was confirmed by the Supreme Court of Nigeria in the case of Aviomoh v Commissioner of Police & Anor. (2021) LPELR-55203(SC), when Helen Ogunwumiju JSC held that “defamation was decriminalised in the Criminal Law of Lagos in 2011 and Edo State Criminal Law Bill 2020.”