The Take It Back Movement has vowed to press ahead with planned protests in Ekiti, Lagos, Abuja, London, and Canada, undeterred by the detention of human rights lawyer Dele Farotimi on defamation charges. The protests, scheduled for December 10, aim to highlight allegations of police impunity and judicial complicity in Farotimi’s case, sparking a fresh wave of dissent against Nigeria’s criminal justice system.
The Ekiti State Police Command had earlier issued a ban on protests, citing concerns over security risks and public safety. “Any form of unlawful gathering, demonstration, or protest is unacceptable,” the command’s spokesperson, Abutu Sunday, warned, alleging that intelligence reports indicated plans to incite violence under the guise of protests.
Resistance Against Suppression
The Take It Back Movement, however, dismissed the police directive as baseless. Speaking to The Guardian, the group’s National Coordinator, Juwon Sanyaolu, condemned the police’s actions as unlawful and vowed to proceed with peaceful demonstrations.
“The lawlessness of the Nigeria Police must not go unchecked,” Sanyaolu said. “They cannot proscribe peaceful protest; that itself is illegal. We are challenging the police’s thuggery in abducting Farotimi from Lagos and assaulting his staff.”
Farotimi, a vocal critic of Nigeria’s judicial system and author of Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System, was detained following a petition by prominent lawyer and academic Aare Afe Babalola (SAN). Babalola accused Farotimi of defaming him through claims made in the book and subsequent media appearances.
Legal Wranglings and New Allegations
Farotimi was arrested in Lagos last Tuesday and arraigned before an Ekiti Magistrates’ Court the next day. Despite his lawyer’s plea for bail, Chief Magistrate Abayomi Adeosun ordered his remand in custody, with the case adjourned until December 10.
The police have since filed additional charges at a federal high court, accusing Farotimi of cybercrime over remarks he made during an online interview. In the interview, Farotimi alleged judicial corruption, naming Babalola as complicit—a claim Babalola’s legal team vehemently denies.
At a press conference in Ado Ekiti, Babalola’s lawyers described the defamation charges as a necessary legal recourse. “The law must take its due course,” they asserted, defending their client’s reputation built over decades of public service.
Protest Calls Grow Louder
Meanwhile, the Take It Back Movement, founded by former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore, has escalated its campaign with calls for a global day of action. A widely circulated flyer titled “Nationwide/Global Protest Against the Judiciary” urges supporters to gather in cities across Nigeria, as well as Toronto and London, to demand accountability and justice.
Sowore, writing on X (formerly Twitter), declared, “An unjust act of oppression cannot stand, no matter how ‘well presented’ under the color of law. On December 10, the intoxication of power will meet the power of the people!”
A Widening Divide
The protests, set against the backdrop of a deeply polarised Nigeria, underscore growing frustrations with the country’s legal and security institutions. Critics argue that the police and judiciary have become tools of oppression, silencing dissent and shielding the powerful.
As December 10 approaches, tensions are expected to mount, with the planned protests likely testing the resolve of both the Nigerian government and the activists determined to hold it to account. For now, the battle lines have been drawn between those demanding justice and the forces seeking to suppress it.
