In a recent statement on his official X account, Chidi Odinkalu, a law professor and former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, has revealed that the Ekiti State Criminal Law of 2021 has decriminalized the charges against detained human rights activist and author, Dele Farotimi.
Farotimi was arrested and charged at the Federal High Court in Ekiti for alleged criminal defamation against Afe Babalola.
The charges are reportedly linked to his recent book, Nigeria and Its Criminal Judicial System, which exposes alleged judicial corruption in Nigeria.
Odinkalu clarified the legal standing of the charges against Farotimi in his statement.
“For the record, the gist of the charges purportedly preferred against Dele Farotimi before the Magistrate in Ekiti is #CriminalDefamation. That is not a crime in Ekiti State. The Ekiti State Criminal Law of 2021 decriminalized it and that is not in doubt,” Odinkalu wrote.
Farotimi’s arrest has brought widespread criticism from activists and legal experts, many argue that the charges are baseless, given the state law’s stance on criminal defamation.
His supporters see his detention as an attempt to silence opposition and suppress his revelations about judicial corruption.
The Ekiti State Criminal Law of 2021 was a reform meant to modernize the state’s legal framework and align it with international standards, decriminalizing defamation was one of its key provisions