Renowned human rights advocate Dele Farotimi has expressed deep gratitude to Nigerians for their solidarity, which he believes secured his freedom following a contentious legal ordeal.
Speaking on Sunday through a YouTube broadcast and posts on X (formerly Twitter), Farotimi credited the public’s unwavering support for his release, describing their collective voice as the driving force behind his liberation.
“We stopped being human because we became Nigerians. They divided us, and we fell for it,” Farotimi stated. “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.”
His heartfelt words emphasized the power of unity in confronting oppression. “You found your voices. I became you. And in our collective, you couldn’t be silenced,” he added.
Farotimi’s arrest on December 3 by the Ekiti State Police Command was tied to allegations of defamation and cyberbullying. The accusations stemmed from claims made by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Aare Afe Babalola, who alleged that Farotimi defamed him in a 116-page book titled Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System.
The book purportedly accused Babalola and other SANs of influencing Supreme Court Justices corruptly. Farotimi was subsequently arraigned at an Ekiti Magistrate Court and faced additional charges at the Federal High Court on December 6.
On December 21, the magistrate court granted Farotimi bail with stringent conditions. These included a ₦30 million bond, two sureties (one a property owner), surrendering his passport, and refraining from granting media interviews post-release.
Speaking to journalists after his release, Farotimi maintained his innocence, asserting that his advocacy was grounded in truth.
“It is not ever an easy journey when you are fighting evil,” he remarked. “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 concluded with a resolute declaration: “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.”