Farotimi appreciates Nigerians, says his release was due to public outcry

Human rights advocate Dele Farotimi was overcome with emotion as he reflected on the collective voice of Nigerians that he said saved his life from detention.

Speaking on Sunday via YouTube and spreading on X, Farotimi attributed his freedom to the unflinching support of Nigerians who stood by him during his experience.

“We stopped being human because we became Nigerians. They divided us, and we fell for it.

“Because you wouldn’t see me as a Yoruba man, you spoke for me. Because you wouldn’t see me as a Christian, you spoke for me. Nigeria couldn’t happen to me because you spoke,” Farotimi said.

He emphasised the power of unity in the face of oppression, saying, “You found your voices. I became you. And in our collective, you couldn’t be silenced.”

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• Lagos govt nightclubs, worship centres must obtain permit for amplified sound

Farotimi was released after being arrested on December 3 by police from the Ekiti State Police Command on accusations of defamation and cyberbullying.

The arrest followed claims made by noted legal luminary and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Aare Afe Babalola, who accused Farotimi of defaming him in a 116-page book titled Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System.

According to the police, the book claimed that Babalola and other Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) had corrupted Supreme Court Justices.

These allegations led to Farotimi’s arraignment in an Ekiti State Magistrate Court, followed by 12 further charges filed by the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, at an Ekiti Federal High Court on December 6.

On December 21, the magistrate court granted Farotimi bail with strict restrictions, including a N30 million bond, two sureties (one of whom must possess property), forfeiture of his passport, and a prohibition on media interviews following his release.

Farotimi maintained his innocence, telling journalists that he had never lied against anyone.

“It is not ever an easy journey when you are fighting evil. Some years back, before I started this work, God told me that the truth is enough. It is the only weapon with which you can slay the monster called Nigeria,” he stated.

He added, “In my war against the evil empire that we all live in, I have never lied against anyone. If I don’t know, I will say I don’t know.”

Farotimi appreciates Nigerians, says his release was due to public outcry

Wike replies Odili: You’ve reduced yourself to ridiculous level

Lere Olayinka, the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory FCT, Nyesom Wike has knocked a former Governor of Rivers State, Dr Peter Odili over a recent remark against his principal.

News Direct reports that Odili had during a Christmas ballad organized by himself in honour of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his family, said that the incumbent Governor courageously stopped Wike from making Rivers State his private estate.

According to Odili, Fubara summoned an unusual fortitude to confront the quest by the FCT Minister to capture the state through ferocious but unnecessary political war.

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Reacting, Olayinka in a post on his official X handle, described Odili’s comment as disappointing, stating that the former governor, who is expected to act as an elder statesman, has reduced himself to a ridiculous level.

Olayinka said in the coming days, Odili would get a deserved response from the FCT Minister.

“I Read the comments made by the former Governor of Rivers State, Peter Odili on the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, today, and I can’t but be disappointed that someone who should be acting like an elder statesman can reduce himself to such ridiculous level of partisanship.

“Well, he will get his deserved response from the FCT Minister in due course”, Olayinka wrote.

Wike replies Odili: You’ve reduced yourself to ridiculous level

Lagos govt insists nightclubs, worship centres must obtain permit for amplified sound

The Lagos State Government has rolled out stricter measures to combat noise pollution, requiring nightclubs, lounges, bars, and worship centres to obtain permits for events involving amplified sound.

The measure, it said, aimed to safeguard the health and well-being of Lagosians during the festive season and beyond.

Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, announced this via his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Saturday, emphasizing the government’s zero-tolerance stance on noise pollution.

Wahab highlighted that events with amplified sound must be conducted in soundproofed, enclosed spaces to protect residents from the harmful effects of excessive noise.

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“Establishments such as worship centers, nightclubs, lounges, and bars must now obtain permits for events involving amplified sound and ensure these activities take place in soundproofed, enclosed spaces to protect neighboring residents,” the statement read in part.

To enforce these directives, the government said it had established a Special Task Force on Noise Pollution under the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA).

This task force, in collaboration with the Lagos State Neighborhood Safety Corps (LSNSC) and the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), would oversee compliance, arrest offenders, and prosecute violators of noise regulations, it stated.

The statement further noted that starting January 2025, the government would roll out a public awareness campaign to educate Lagosians on acceptable noise levels and the benefits of a quieter environment.

Lagos govt insists nightclubs, worship centres must obtain permit for amplified sound