News
Farotimi: Protest organisers dare police, insist on Ekiti rally
- /home/naijuinz/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 27
https://naijablitznews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Dele-Farotimi.jpg&description=Farotimi: Protest organisers dare police, insist on Ekiti rally', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">
- Share
- Tweet /home/naijuinz/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 72
https://naijablitznews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Dele-Farotimi.jpg&description=Farotimi: Protest organisers dare police, insist on Ekiti rally', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">
The Take It Back Movement has vowed to go ahead with its planned protests in Ekiti, Lagos, Abuja, London and Canada following the detention of human rights lawyer, Dele Farotimi, over defamation charges.
The group insisted this despite a directive by the Ekiti State Police Command banning unlawful gatherings, demonstrations, and the sale and use of fireworks across the state, citing concerns over public safety and security threats.
In a statement signed by the state police spokesperson, Abutu Sunday, on Friday, the command said, “Any form of unlawful gathering, demonstration, or protest is unacceptable”, adding that intelligence reports indicated plans by some individuals to exploit protests to incite violence and create panic.
But in an interview with our correspondent on Sunday, the National Coordinator of Take It Back Movement, Juwon Sanyaolu, insisted that the police lacked a legal basis to ban peaceful protests.
He said, “The position of the TIB is the same and our action will go on as planned despite the police’s threats.”
He said, “The lawlessness of the Nigeria Police must not be allowed to go unchecked even though we are aware it is their trademark. The police cannot proscribe peaceful protest, that in itself is illegal. We are peacefully challenging in the public space the thuggery of the police officers, under the command of the Ekiti CP, who came all the way from Ekiti to abduct Farotimi in Lagos and assault his staff.
“While we are not against lawful processes, we will not hesitate to point out the conspiracy of the police and the judiciary in this matter. The very title of Farotimi’s book ‘Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System,’ is what is also playing out in our very eyes with the police playing an active role.”
The PUNCH reports that elder statesman and founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, Aare Afe Babalola (SAN), last Friday, insisted that Farotimi was out to tarnish his reputation which he had built following many years of hard work and diligent toil
Babalola, who said he petitioned the police to investigate the defamatory allegations made by Farotimi in the book titled, ‘Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System,’ said charging the activist to court by the law enforcement agency was for the law to take its due course on the matter.
The senior advocate, represented by his lawyers, Owoseni Ajayi, Olakanmi Falade and Lawrence Fasanmi, who are former chairmen of the Nigerian Bar Association, Ado Ekiti branch, spoke at a press conference in the Ekiti State capital city.
The police in Ekiti State had, following a petition written by Babalola, arrested Farotimi in Lagos on Tuesday and arraigned him before an Ekiti State Magistrates Court in Ado Ekiti on Wednesday over allegations bordering on defaming the elder statesman.
While the police prayed the court to remand the defendant (Farotimi) in a correctional facility, Farotimi’s lawyer pleaded for bail for his client, but the Chief Magistrate, Abayomi Adeosun, ordered him remanded as he adjourned the matter till December 10, 2024.
The police have also filed fresh charges against Farotimi at a federal high court in Ado-Ekiti.
The new charges centred on cybercrime allegations picked from the activist’s online interviews.
According to the police, Farotimi appeared on Mic On Podcast hosted by popular broadcast journalist, Seun Okinbaloye, where he accused Babalola of corrupting the judiciary.
Meanwhile, the TIB, convened by former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, had last week said it would be staging the protest to challenge the “impunity of the Nigeria Police and the conspiracy of the judiciary.”
A flyer circulating on social media last Thursday issued by the group and tagged “Nationwide/Global Protest Against the Judiciary” called on the public to converge at designated points for the protest slated for Tuesday, December 10, 2024.
In a post on X on Sunday, Sowore also wrote, “An unjust act of oppression cannot stand no matter how ‘well presented’ that it was done under the color of law!
“On December 10, 2024, in Lagos, Abuja, Ado-Ekiti, Benin City, Toronto, and the city of London, the people intoxicated by power will be confronted by the power of the people!”
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, has slashed its fuel pump price for the second time within four days.
A market survey on Saturday by DAILY POST showed that NNPCL retail outlets around Airport Junction and Wuse Zone 6 (Berger) in Abuja have reduced their petrol price to N1210 per litre, down from N1260.
This means that the state-owned oil firm slashed the petrol price by N50 per litre.
This comes barely two days after Dangote Refinery reduced its petrol gantry price by N50 to N1,125 per litre.
Recall that four days ago, NNPCL had adjusted its fuel price pump by N75 per litre to N1260.
With the latest drop by NNPCL retail outlets, petrol prices stand between N1210 per litre and N1305 per litre in Abuja and its environs.
The reduction in domestic fuel comes amid falling crude oil prices, which stand at $69 per barrel and $71 per barrel for West Texas Intermediate and Brent crude, respectively, following the easing of the conflict in the Middle East.
Recall that President Bola Tinubu has kept mum amid the clamour by Nigerians for a commensurate drop in domestic fuel pump prices due to the significant reduction in crude oil prices.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has said it is yet to receive the Certified True Copy, CTC, of the Federal High Court judgment that set aside an earlier order directing it to register the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, as a political party.
INEC revealed this in a statement issued on Saturday by its Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to the Chairman, Adedayo Oketola.
According to the commission, although it is aware of media reports on the judgment delivered by the Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja on June 26, it cannot comment on the ruling until it obtains and reviews the certified copy.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, is aware of reports circulating in the media regarding the judgment delivered on Friday, June 26, 2026, by the Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja, which set aside an earlier order concerning the registration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress.
“However, as of this moment, the Commission has not yet received the Certified True Copy, CTC, of the court’s order,” the statement said.
INEC stated that its legal department would study the judgment upon receipt of the CTC before advising the commission on the next course of action.
“Once the Commission’s legal department receives and thoroughly studies the CTC of the judgment, INEC will take an informed, lawful decision in line with the court’s directives.
“Until then, we cannot comment on the specifics of the ruling, and the public is urged to await the Commission’s formal position on the matter,” Oketola added.
Justice Isah Dashen of the Federal High Court in Lokoja had on Friday set aside the court’s December 10, 2025, judgment directing INEC to register the NDC as a political party.
The court held that the rights of the Peace Movement Party were affected by the earlier judgment because it was not joined in the suit despite claiming ownership of the logo relied upon in securing the registration order.
Justice Dashen consequently ordered that all parties be restored to the positions they occupied before the December 2025 judgment and directed that the substantive suit be heard afresh with all necessary parties joined.
The NDC has rejected the ruling and announced plans to appeal the decision. Its National Chairman, Senator Moses Cleopas, maintained that the party had not been deregistered and argued that the trial court lacked jurisdiction to revisit a matter on which it had already delivered a final judgment.
The ruling has also attracted reactions from opposition figures, including the NDC’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, the party’s National Leader, Senator Henry Dickson, and other stakeholders, who described the decision as a threat to Nigeria’s multiparty democracy and vowed to challenge it through all available legal channels.
INEC, however, maintained that it would reserve its position on the judgment until it receives and reviews the Certified True Copy.
A joint police operation rescued five victims abducted near Ogbere Forest in Ogun state on Wednesday.
They were rescued within 25 hours by the Lagos and Ogun Police Commands, which were part of a joint operation codenamed KOSAYE, meaning “No Space” in Yoruba.
The woman was among the victims who were shot in the incident. Her daughter and sister were among those rescued by the police on Thursday.
NNPC slashes petrol price twice within four days
Lokoja Court order: INEC speaks on NDC, says it’s yet to receive CTC
Just in: Police rescue five abductees in Ogun
-
News22 hours agoYou Clearly Didn’t Read the State Police Bill — Akpabio’s Aide Fires Back at Obi
-
News21 hours agoPeter Obi Reacts To court Ruling Nullifying NDC’s Registration
-
News21 hours agoMy Dad’s Wife Needs Money To Maintain Her Lavish Lifestyle- Mr. Ibu’s Son
-
News21 hours agoEdo CJ constitutes special court to try cultists, kidnappers
-
Metro21 hours agoTwo killed in fresh Imo bomb explosion
-
News21 hours agoArmy to recruit 28,000 additional soldiers to combat insecurity
-
News22 hours agoXenophobia: “South Africa is nothing without Africa — MTN Group Chairman, Mcebisi Jonas
-
Metro21 hours agoAlakija Building Collapse: Sanwo-Olu Directs Demolition Of Distressed Structures, Owner To Be Prosecuted
Warning: Undefined variable $user_ID in /home/naijuinz/public_html/wp-content/themes/zox-news/comments.php on line 49
You must be logged in to post a comment Login