Farotimi’s criminal defamation trial is Northern law —Sowore
Former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2023 presidential elections, Omoleye Sowore, says the criminal defamation trial of Dele Farotimi is being done under a Northern Nigerian law that should not be applied in Southern Nigerian states.
Sowore who revealed this during a Space meeting on X on Thursday night on the detention and prosecution of Farotimi, said most states in the south had expunged the criminal defamation law from their books, wondering why the activist should be tried under a law that does not exist in the region.
The human rights activist and convener of #RevolutionNow Movement, also noted that Farotimi is being tried in court in Ekiti State for alleged criminal defamation which is a Northern Nigerian law, emphasizing that criminal defamation is neither in existence in Ekiti State where Farotimi is being detained and prosecuted nor in Lagos state where he was abducted by police officers.
“Dele is definitely not the first person they have tried this with. They have been trying it forever. Sedition was removed from the Nigerian Law book but they always figured out how to bring it back,” Sowore said.
“There have been a lot of arrests that involve what they call criminal defamation, which is a Northern Nigerian law. Some Southern states have it but most of them have expunged it from their books.
“Even civil litigation on libel is meant to shut down people, stressing that criminal libel and even civil litigation on libel are basically targeted at shutting down activists from challenging the excesses of the government and those in power,” he added.
The activist also called on Nigerians to rise up against any form of clamp down on dissent voices by the Nigerian government and those who believe they can use the judiciary and the police to silence dissent voices in the country.
Farotimi’s criminal defamation trial is Northern law —Sowore
Former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2023 presidential elections, Omoleye Sowore, says the criminal defamation trial of Dele Farotimi is being done under a Northern Nigerian law that should not be applied in Southern Nigerian states.
Sowore who revealed this during a Space meeting on X on Thursday night on the detention and prosecution of Farotimi, said most states in the south had expunged the criminal defamation law from their books, wondering why the activist should be tried under a law that does not exist in the region.
The human rights activist and convener of #RevolutionNow Movement, also noted that Farotimi is being tried in court in Ekiti State for alleged criminal defamation which is a Northern Nigerian law, emphasizing that criminal defamation is neither in existence in Ekiti State where Farotimi is being detained and prosecuted nor in Lagos state where he was abducted by police officers.
“Dele is definitely not the first person they have tried this with. They have been trying it forever. Sedition was removed from the Nigerian Law book but they always figured out how to bring it back,” Sowore said.
“There have been a lot of arrests that involve what they call criminal defamation, which is a Northern Nigerian law. Some Southern states have it but most of them have expunged it from their books.
“Even civil litigation on libel is meant to shut down people, stressing that criminal libel and even civil litigation on libel are basically targeted at shutting down activists from challenging the excesses of the government and those in power,” he added.
The activist also called on Nigerians to rise up against any form of clamp down on dissent voices by the Nigerian government and those who believe they can use the judiciary and the police to silence dissent voices in the country.
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