BREAKING: Nigerian Police Move Human Rights Lawyer, Dele Farotimi To Ekiti State For 'Cybercrime Probe'

Nigerian human rights lawyer, Dele Farotimi, has been taken to Ekiti State by the police officers who arrested him, following a raid on his residence in Lagos State.

It was gathered that the arrest, conducted based on a petition by legal luminary, Chief Afe Babalola (SAN), was over the allegations of cybercrime.

SaharaReporters learnt that after Farotimi's arrest in Lagos, the Nigerian police drove him to Ekiti State by road.

Nigerian human rights activist and 2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has condemned the arrest, describing it as illegal.

Sowore stated that the incident was orchestrated by one of Nigeria’s most senior lawyers, Afe Babalola (SAN).

Sowore, said, "I just spoke with Kunle Akinwale, the Commissioner of Nigeria Police Force Ekiti State Command. He admits that they arrested Dele Farotimi and that he's being driven from Lagos to Ekiti by road.

"I told him categorically that this constituted an abuse of Police powers and that this civil case should not have warranted police intervention."

Sowore added, "When he admitted to me that they were driving him from Lagos, I asked him repeatedly, “ Did he kill someone?”

"He even said he was still under investigation for “cybercrime.” this illegal arrest was staged by one of Nigeria’s most senior lawyers, Afe Babalola, SAN.

"This is just despicable. #FreeDeleFarotimi Now!"

Earlier, SaharaReporters reported that the family of human rights lawyer, Dele Farotimi, cried out over his whereabouts since he was arrested by the Nigerian police at Zone 2 in Lagos following a petition.

Speaking with SaharaReporters, the activist's family had said he had been driven somewhere outside Lagos by the police operatives.

"Dele Farotimi’s Whereabout is unknown since his arrest. He was driven somewhere outside Lagos," SaharaReporters was told by family sources.