Human rights activists in the United Kingdom are set to gather at King’s College London (KCL) to protest the arrest and detention of Nigerian lawyer and author, Dele Farotimi. Farotimi was detained by the Nigeria Police Force in Ekiti State following a defamation complaint filed by renowned legal practitioner, Afe Babalola, SAN. The complaint stems from claims made in Farotimi’s book, Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System.
The protest, scheduled for December 10, seeks to raise awareness about the alleged injustice and call for Farotimi’s immediate release. Activists also aim to draw attention to concerns about the Nigerian judiciary’s handling of free speech and human rights cases.
Olawale Bakare, a prominent activist known as Mandate, has urged Londoners to join the protest at KCL. In a social media post, Bakare criticized Babalola’s actions, describing them as oppressive, and emphasized the importance of collective action for justice.
“A free Nigeria begins with protecting free speech and standing up for each other. Be there! #FreeDeleFarotimi,” Bakare wrote, encouraging widespread participation.
This London protest is part of a global movement led by Omoyele Sowore and the Take It Back Movement (TIB), a Nigerian human rights advocacy group. TIB had earlier declared December 10 as a day of worldwide demonstrations against Farotimi’s detention. Protests will also take place in Lagos at Afe Babalola Chambers, in Abuja at the Federal Ministry of Justice, and at the Ekiti State Police Headquarters in Ado-Ekiti.
Meanwhile, King’s College London is under increasing pressure from international human rights groups to reassess its relationship with Afe Babalola. Activists are calling on the university to cancel its Afe Babalola Centre for Transnational Education and return Babalola’s donation, citing his alleged abuse of power in Farotimi’s case.
The protests underscore growing global concerns over human rights violations and the suppression of free speech in Nigeria.
