Dele Farotimi, a lawyer and an activist has said that he will demand justice concerning his incarceration for 21 days, stressing that those who sent him to prison for an offence that is not known in law in Lagos or Ekiti States must account for their action.
The activist who spoke on Sunday night on Channels TV said that whoever is responsible, whether the police, the magistrate or even private individuals, he would demand an account for wasting 21 days of his life in prison.
He said, “What I would like to do in response to my incarceration is another ball game entirely. I’ll certainly be demanding an account from those who sent me to prison.
On where he was going to sue the police, he said, “You’re the one saying that. My lawyers will decide those who are responsible. Someone has to explain to me how I ended up in prison for a civil infraction. Whether it is the police that will be sued or the magistrate that sent me to prison, or the persons who wrote the petition, whoever, but somebody will explain.
“I was sent to prison but it was my contention that I wasn’t set to prison with the due process of law. It was my contention that impunity was involved in sending me to prison. It was my contention that the offence for which I was sent to prison is unknown to law either in Lagos where I reside or in Ekiti where I was adopted to. If something like this has happened it can only be expected that I should demand an account from those who have done this. Somebody must account for locking me up in a prison cell. There must be a reason for it. 21 days of life was taken from me.
“There was no lawsuit. I was maliciously hauled away from Lagos to Ekiti State without the warrant of law.
On whether he had made peace with his detractors, He said, “As far as having peace, I’m at peace and there’s nothing that makes you sleep than a clear conscience. I was not at war with the complainant. He was perhaps at war with me. I learnt that some good Samaritans have gone to see him and he has ceased to be angry with me.
“Like every other Nigerian I woke up, I heard that some people went to see Afe Babalola to appeal to him. They said mediation, which would mean some people mediated on both sides and then spoke to Afe and then made peace between two warring parties.
“There was never any war between me and the revered Are. He was the one who had a problem with what I wrote. Number two, nobody consulted me before going to him. I sent nobody to him. I know nothing about the trip to him. Even as the Bible says, “Blessed are the peace maker” They made peace on their own accord. I read about it in the newspapers, like any other Nigerian.
“Let me continue to reassert that I;m always at peace but when it comes to demanding on account of those who averted the powers of the state in pursuit of a target course, you can be certain of one thing, some people will account for my imprisonment. That is something for the court to decide.
“You’ll recall that even though two criminal cases were filed against me at the insistence of Afe Babalola and co, both charges were withdrawn. But there are four civil suits filed across the country, one in Port Harcourt, one in Abuja, one in Ogun State and one in Oyo State filed by members of the same law offices. Even though the criminal suits have been withdrawn, the civil suits are there. “
