Civil rights lawyer and activist Dele Farotimi has accused the Nigerian government of “mimicking democracy,” condemning the police and judiciary for clamping down on citizens’ right to peaceful protest.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Tuesday, Farotimi said the restriction of protests and excessive use of force by security agencies prove that Nigeria operates more like an authoritarian state than a democracy.
“That a court would curtail the right of citizens to protest peacefully suggests we are not in a democracy. We’re only pretending to be,” he said.
“In a true democracy, citizens do not need police permission to protest — the police are simply informed to provide protection.”
Farotimi’s remarks followed Monday’s #FreeNnamdiKanu demonstration in Abuja, led by activist Omoyele Sowore, where protesters demanding the release of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu were dispersed with teargas by security operatives.
He also criticised the judiciary, alleging that it had become “an extension of the executive” rather than a guardian of justice. Farotimi argued that protesters should never face criminal prosecution for peaceful demonstrations, adding that only violent offenders should be detained.
Citing his own experience with what he described as a “non-existent law,” he said Nigeria’s legal system had become “a tool of oppression rather than justice.”
Farotimi further referenced the 2020 EndSARS protests, saying police reforms promised afterward were superficial: “They merely rebranded the same unit without reforming its culture.”
Responding to concerns over Monday’s protest, police spokesman Benjamin Hundeyin defended the deployment of teargas, saying it was necessary to protect critical infrastructure in Abuja and enforce a court order restricting protests near Aso Rock and other sensitive areas.
