CRRAN appealed to the Chief Justice of Nigeria to urgently save the citizens from the dangerous route the courts in Nigeria are plying.
Human rights organisation, the Civil Rights Realisation and Advancement Network (CRRAN), has condemned the arrest, detention and remand of Dele Farotimi Esq. describing it as unconstitutional and one which violates the rule of law.
While demanding the immediate release of Farotimi, the group in a statement on Wednesday by its President, Olu Omotayo, lamented that the hard-earned constitutional guaranteed rights of citizens are gradually being filtered away by the courts and this calls for urgent attention.
CRRAN appealed to the Chief Justice of Nigeria to urgently save the citizens from the dangerous route the courts in Nigeria are plying.
The organisation emphasised that the courts had continued to act as an appendage of the Nigerian police, a development it warned would spell doom for human rights and democracy in the country.
The group observed that "as economy continues to worsen in the country, so also the observance of the Rule of Law and respect for human rights of the citizens continue to worsen as courts in the country now operate as an appendage or extension of the Nigerian Police.
"We just heard in the news that Dele Farotimi Esq. after his abduction in Lagos was arraigned in Court today in Ekiti State and remanded in prison. Farotimi was alleged to have made defamatory remarks against Afe Babalola in his recent publication.
"In the famous Arthur Nwankwos' Case the Court of Appeal held that Sedition or Criminal Defamation was a law used by our colonial masters to subjugate the locals and there should be nothing like criminal defamation in a democratic set up, as there are enough redress available for government or aggrieved citizen under the law of libel."
The group, however, regretted that since over a year ago President Bola Tinubu took over leadership of Nigeria, the number of citizens arrested and detained for Criminal Defamation had surpassed what happened in any of the previous democratic governments in Nigeria.
According to group, "In the case of ARTHUR NWANKWO V THE STATE (1985) 6 NCLR 228, Nwankwo who was a gubernatorial candidate in Anambra state, in 1982, was alleged to have attacked the governor, Jim Nwobodo, in the book he published titled ‘HOW JIM NWOBODO RULES ANAMBRA STATE’. He was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment for the offences of ‘publishing seditious publication’ and ‘distributing seditious publications.
"He went on appeal. The Court of Appeal discharged and acquitted him and held inter alia that although the book sharply criticizes the government, it was indeed healthy in a true democracy."
In the ruling delivered by Hon Justice Belgore, the Court of Appeal Court held that the charge against the appellant /accused was inconsistent with sections 36 and 41 of the then 1979 Constitution.
CRRAN described the current development as surprising that over 40 years after the court judgement which is available for judges and Magistrates to read, "our society and development is being dragged back to give effect to what was condemned by the Judiciary over 40 years ago".
"We urge the Chief Justice of Nigeria to urgently save the citizens from the dangerous route the courts in Nigeria are plying.
"The hard earned constitutional guaranteed rights of citizens are gradually being filtered away by the courts and this calls for urgent attention.
"We condemn the arrest, detention and remand of Farotimi Esq. as it is unconstitutional and violates the Rule of Law."