SAHARA REPORTERS
Human rights lawyer and former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, has berated the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) for handcuffing fellow lawyer, Dele Farotimi during arraignment over a defamation case.
Odinkalu compared the scenario with how operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) were seen “honourably escorting” a former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello amid a multi-billion naira fraud trial.
Odinkalu was reacting to Farotimi’s appearance in court in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, in handcuffs on Monday following charges brought against him by Afe Babalola (SAN) under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act, 2015.
In a post on his X social media account, Odinkalu said, “They took @DeleFarotimi who has never touched a kobo of #Nigeria’s money & put him in handcuffs less than a fortnight after @OfficialGYBKogi swagged into the offices of @officialEFCC b4 showing up in court as a superstar. Dele set these guys up & they’re falling for it.”
SaharaReporters earlier reported that the handcuffs on Farotimi generated backlashes online, with many Nigerians questioning why such measures were applied to Farotimi, who is known for his advocacy for free speech, while high-profile political figures accused of massive corruption appeared in court without similar treatment. Many Nigerians took to social media to express outrage, calling the incident a demonstration of the selective application of justice in the country. Meanwhile, some human rights activists compared Farotimi’s treatment to that of former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello, who has been accused of misappropriating over N100 billion in public funds. Despite the gravity of the allegations against Bello, he has not been subjected to such visible.
An X user, @afrotrax wrote, “Exactly the point! Our government and its politicians behave like dictatorial regimes—falling slowly at first, then collapsing entirely. “Their intelligence erodes gradually until it’s completely gone, and their capacity for sound judgment follows the same path—all driven by greed and intoxication with power.
“They act like gods, believing themselves untouchable, yet only succeed in making fools of themselves. Dele Farotimi recognized this decay, exposed it, and they failed to read between the lines. “As the proverb goes ‘The higher a monkey climbs, the more it exposes its backside.’ “They’ve been unintentionally exposing the very rot he spoke about—all by themselves. What a masterstroke!”Another X user, @egbelowo wrote, “In Nigeria, criminals often roam freely, while the law seems designed to oppress those without power or connections to authority.”
THIS STORY FIRST APPEARED IN SAHARA REPORTERS
Connect with us on our socials: