Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank,
has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the Federal and Ekiti State Governments to release human rights lawyer Dr. Dele Farotimi from remand.
He warned that failure to do so would result in nationwide protests, urging Nigerians to occupy police stations and formations if Farotimi is not freed within the stipulated time.
The ultimatum follows the decision of the Ekiti State Chief Magistrates Court, Ado Ekiti Division, on Wednesday to remand Farotimi in custody. He was arraigned over alleged defamation stemming from claims in his book, Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System, where he accused Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Afe Babalola, of compromising the Supreme Court.
Frank, however, argued that Farotimi’s arrest goes beyond the defamation charges, calling it a politically motivated attempt to silence the outspoken activist.
He accused the government of using the judiciary and police as tools of repression to intimidate critics of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
“This is not about Afe Babalola’s petition. Farotimi’s arrest is a deliberate attempt to muzzle his criticism of anti-people policies,” Frank said. “Farotimi is a man of principle and law. He should not be subjected to this degrading experience for a bailable offense.”
Frank condemned the handling of the case, stating that Farotimi’s arrest violated the spirit of democracy and due process. “If the government had any genuine concerns, they should have invited him lawfully, not through harassment and unlawful detention,” he added.
As the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) Ambassador to East Africa and the Middle East, Frank called on Nigerians to resist any attempt to use state institutions to suppress free speech. He warned that what is happening to Farotimi today could happen to any Nigerian tomorrow.
Citing German pastor Martin Niemöller’s famous words about the dangers of silence in the face of oppression, Frank urged Nigerians to act now. “First, they came for Farotimi. If we don’t speak out, who will be next?”