A prominent critic of the government and an advocate for the oppressed, Dele Farotimi, has declared his resolve not to be intimidated into leaving Nigeria despite threats to his safety.
Speaking to the media at his residence along Chevron Drive, Lekki, Lagos, on Monday, Farotimi addressed issues surrounding his recent encounters with the Zone 2 Police Command.
He recounted being summoned by the command on November 11 over a petition accusing him of maligning a prominent Lagos-based businessman.
Farotimi explained that he honoured the invitation on November 13, despite having a prior medical appointment.
“After my visit to the police, where I was allowed to leave, I later learned that two pastors from a Pentecostal church I had addressed were harassed by the police, who demanded to know my whereabouts,” he revealed.
He noted that he returned to the police station on November 21, accompanied by his legal counsel, and was again permitted to leave.
However, he began receiving suspicious messages, which he believed were attempts to lure him into potentially dangerous situations.
“It became clear that these individuals were operating outside standard procedures.
“But I will not be forced to leave Nigeria. I have done nothing wrong. If I have, take me to court,” he said.
Farotimi revealed that, as a precaution, he approached the Lagos State High Court to enforce and protect his fundamental human rights. He also alerted his associates and staff, advising them to exercise caution.
Despite these efforts, he was shocked to learn that his domestic staff had been targeted.
“One of my staff members was deceived into thinking they had a parcel for me. When they failed to coerce a security guard into luring the staff, they arrested the guard and took him to Zone 2 Police Station.
There, they questioned him about my home address and my wife’s contact information. The guard was later released on bail,” he explained.
Farotimi emphasised that he has consistently honoured lawful invitations from the authorities and found it troubling that innocent individuals around him were being harassed.
He also alleged that agents from another state in the South West were conspiring to abduct him.
“I wrote a book that offended a prominent lawyer, but I have always complied with police invitations. If they had issues with me, why not invite me the same way they did before?” he questioned.
He later highlighted his fear for his life and the safety of those around him.
“There must be justice for the accused, the victim, and the state. The scale of justice must not only be balanced but also visibly so. Truth dies in darkness, and darkness is when people are silenced by intimidation,” he stated.
