Former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, has strongly criticized the arrest of human rights lawyer and political activist Dele Farotimi by the Nigerian police.
Atiku described the arrest as a tactic to intimidate dissenting voices and a dangerous step toward undermining democracy in the country.
In a statement shared on his official X handle on Wednesday, Atiku likened the incident to the oppressive practices of past military regimes.
He warned that the administration of President Bola Tinubu risks eroding democratic principles with such actions.
“The arrest and detention of lawyer and human rights advocate, Dele Farotimi, is unequivocally condemned. It serves as a grim reminder of the dark days of military dictatorship when the iron fist of tyranny sought to crush all dissent,” he stated.
Farotimi’s arrest stemmed from a defamation petition filed by senior lawyer Afe Babalola.
However, Atiku argued that defamation, a civil matter, should not involve law enforcement. He labeled the police’s involvement as “an overreach of unimaginable proportions.”
“The Police’s intervention in such matters is nothing less than the use of a sledgehammer to swat a fly,” Atiku remarked.
Atiku accused the Tinubu administration of using law enforcement to silence critics and push Nigeria toward a one-party state.
He emphasized that freedom of speech and association are constitutionally protected rights and should not be suppressed through intimidation or harassment.
“It is imperative to remind the Tinubu administration that these repeated acts of arrest stand in direct contradiction to the principles of democracy,” he said.
Atiku further highlighted the misuse of state power for personal vendettas, drawing from his own experience in 2019 when he sought legal redress for defamation instead of involving the police
The former Vice President called for the unconditional release of Dele Farotimi, stressing that such arrests harm Nigeria’s democratic fabric.
“This alarming trend is emblematic of this administration’s insidious agenda to suffocate the fundamental right to free expression,” Atiku added