Human rights advocate, Dele Farotimi, was overcome with emotion as he reflected on the collective voice of Nigerians that he said saved his life. Punch reports.
Speaking on Sunday via YouTube and circulating on X, Farotimi attributed his freedom to the unwavering support of Nigerians who stood by him during his ordeal.
“We stopped being human 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. Nigeria couldn’t happen to me because you spoke,” Farotimi said.
Farotimi continued, emphasising the power of unity in the face of oppression.
“You found your voices. I became you. And in our collective, you couldn’t be silenced,” he said.
Farotimi’s release followed his arrest on December 3 by officers from the Ekiti State Police Command on charges of defamation and cyberbullying.
The arrest stemmed from allegations made by renowned legal luminary and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Aare Afe Babalola, who accused Farotimi of defaming him in a 116-page book titled Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System.
According to the police, the book alleged that Babalola and other Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) had corruptly influenced Supreme Court Justices.
These claims led to Farotimi being arraigned in an Ekiti State Magistrate Court and later facing 12 additional charges filed by the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, at an Ekiti Federal High Court on December 6.
On December 21, the magistrate court granted Farotimi bail under stringent conditions, including a N30 million bond, two sureties (one of whom must own property), surrender of his passport, and a prohibition on granting media interviews after his release.
Addressing journalists, Farotimi maintained his innocence, insisting that he had never lied against anyone.
“It is not ever an easy journey when you are fighting evil. Some years back, before I started this work, God told me that the truth is enough. It is the only weapon with which you can slay the monster called Nigeria,” he stated.
He added, “In my war against the evil empire that we all live in, I have never lied against anyone. If I don’t know, I will say I don’t know.”
