The Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED) has urged the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration against interfering with the judicial process in the case involving human rights activist, Dele Farotimi and legal luminary, Afe Babalola.
CHRICED’s Executive Director, Comrade Ibrahim Zikirullahi, made the call on Tuesday in Abuja at the state of the nation and end-of-the-year 2024 briefing.
Daily Trust reports that Farotimi was recently granted bail after being committed by an Ekiti State magistrates’ court in Ado-Ekiti which remanded him for 21 days after he was accused of “criminally defaming” a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Afe Babalola, in a book titled: ‘Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System’.
After being held in custody for over three weeks, Farotimi regained his freedom on December 24 upon meeting stringent bail conditions.
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Zikirullahi, however, said it is important for the judiciary to be unbiased and be seen to dispense justice in this regard, without interference by the state to skew justice.
“Dele Farotomi has made assertions and it was not just allegations, he documented it and said he would prove it. Currently, the trial is ongoing. Our concern is if the trial would be fair to both parties or not….
“Whether Farotomi is speaking the truth or not is left for him to prove,” Zikirullahi said.
On the state of the nation, Zikirullahi urged President Tinubu to prioritise the needs of poor and vulnerable Nigerians in the new year 2025 while addressing the economic and security challenges.
He said empowering Nigeria’s 774 local government areas is a foundation for economic recovery and industrial growth.
“The government must establish clear structures for social protection and move away from politically motivated handouts disguised as poverty alleviation programmes,” Zikirullahi said.
He criticised the stark wage gap between political office holders and civil servants, describing it as unjust.
He noted that while Nigerian senators reportedly earn N31m monthly, many
He also called for substantial judicial and police reforms to root out corruption and enhance the integrity of the institutions.
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