Police plan to abduct, silence me, Farotimi alleges

Human rights advocate Dele Farotimi has claimed that his life is under threat, saying that the Nigerian police are attempting to abduct him in an effort to silence him.

Farotimi, in a statement he titled “They Want to Silence Me” on Monday, accused law enforcement of using coercive and unconventional tactics to intimidate him and his associates.

“These recent developments targeting my associates, tracking my phone, and harassing innocent individuals are deeply concerning.

“It has therefore become clear, and it is no longer hidden, that there are policemen from the Ekiti State Police Command who are currently working out of Zone 2 Police Station on a mission to abduct me,” Farotimi said.

Farotimi said the events began last month, November 11, when he received a police invitation to report to Zone 2 Police Command on November 13, 2024, at 10am.

He added that he was accompanied by his legal counsel when he went to honour the police invitation; he arrived at the station and was presented with a defamation petition from businessman Tony Elumelu.

Farotimi said he addressed the petition, which he deemed baseless, and was subsequently released on bail, with a return date set for November 21, 2024.

He said, “Accompanied by my legal counsel, I arrived at the station at 9:45 AM on the stated date. At the station, I was presented with a petition written by a lawyer on behalf of Mr. Tony Elumelu, accusing me of defamation. Despite finding the petition baseless, I addressed its content.

“Subsequently, I met with the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) and the Assistant Inspector-General (AIG) in charge of Zone 2. After discussions, I was released on bail on self-recognition and asked to return to the station on Thursday, the 21st of November 2024.”

After he was released, Farotimi alleges the police engaged in intimidation, including efforts to track his location, harass his domestic staff, and lure him to locations under suspicious pretences.

He said that a pastor from Realm of Glory International Churches informed him that two of his church members had been interrogated by the police, who had shown them a petition from Chief Afe Babalola, a prominent lawyer in Ekiti State.

According to him, the police allegedly sought to use the pastors to lure him to Ekiti for his arrest.

“The pastors informed the police that they had no means of doing so, as I am not a hidden person and do not have a direct relationship with them. They explained that I had preached at their church as a guest of their senior pastor and left. From their accounts, it became evident that the officers were from the Ekiti State Police Command.

“I found it perplexing that the police would attempt to lure me through such means, especially since I had already reported to Zone 2 on the 13th of November 2024 and was scheduled to return on the 21st of November 2024. During my visit, I even met with the Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone 2, who supervises the entire Southwest police formations.

“I honoured the invitation on the 21st of November 2024 again in the company of my legal counsel and was permitted to leave. However, I subsequently began receiving suspicious messages from individuals clearly attempting to lure me to certain locations where I feared I might be abducted. It became evident that these individuals were operating outside standard procedures.

“To my dismay, the situation escalated when one of my domestic staff was targeted. These individuals contacted him, claiming to have a package for him at Evron Food Store on Chevron Drive, Lekki. Having been forewarned, he asked them to leave the package with the store’s security personnel. When their attempts to coerce the security guard into luring my staff failed, they arrested the guard, took him to Zone 2 Police Station, and questioned him about my home address and wife’s contact information. The security guard was released on bail later that evening.”

Farotimi also accused the Ekiti State Police Command of being complicit in what he described as a “witch hunt” carried out by influential individuals, including Chief Afe Babalola, who he claims is using his position in Ekiti State for personal gain.

“Chief Afe Babalola is the largest employer of labour and the highest taxpayer in Ekiti State. Abducting me to be tried in Ekiti State is not justice but a witch hunt. I am being prepared for the gallows by Chief Afe Babalola and his minions, who are doing his bidding in Ekiti State. If I have committed a crime, it was not done in Ekiti State. I live in Lagos, I work in Lagos, and every event described in my book occurred in Lagos State.”