Prominent activist lawyer, Maduabuchi Idam, has described the use of police to settle civil disputes as “primitive” and a violation of due process.
Idam’s remarks were in response to the recent arrest of human rights lawyer Dele Farotimi by officers from Zone 2 Command of the Nigeria Police Force in Lagos. The arrest followed a defamation petition filed by Tony Elumelu, Chairman of the United Bank for Africa (UBA) Group.
Farotimi’s arrest came a day after he raised alarms about alleged threats to his life from influential figures in Nigeria’s political circles.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Idam condemned the police’s involvement in what he called a purely civil matter. “It is curious to find that the Nigeria Police is less busy even with the task of combating the myriads of security challenges wrestling with defenseless citizens of Nigeria,” he said.
Idam further criticized the police for prioritizing a defamation case over addressing Nigeria’s pressing security issues. “The arrest of Mr. Dele Farotimi over an alleged libel, which is an obvious civil wrong, confirms that the Nigeria Police is unbothered by the nation’s security challenges,” he said.
Quoting precedents set by the Supreme Court, Idam noted that the judiciary has repeatedly warned against using the police as a tool for oppression in civil matters. “Sadly, the police have continuously neglected these warnings, resorting to coercive measures in cases that belong in court,” he added.
Calling for reform, Idam urged the Inspector General of Police to refocus the force on its primary responsibilities of combating crime and protecting lives and property. “A person who claims to have been defamed must seek redress in a court of law, not a police station. The use of police in the settlement of civil wrongs is not only primitive but antithetical to civility,” he concluded.
The arrest of Farotimi has sparked public outcry, with many questioning the police’s priorities amid Nigeria’s ongoing security challenges.
Comments