Pat Stevens/
An exchange on X between human rights lawyer, Ayo Obe and Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, has sparked debate over the proper interpretation of Nigeria’s criminal laws.
Obe accused Adejobi of mis-educating the public, referencing a controversial incident involving the arrest of fellow lawyer and activist, Dele Farotimi.
Adejobi, in his post, emphasised the need for Nigerians to familiarise themselves with the nation’s legal frameworks, stating, “Nigeria operates two major criminal laws: the Criminal Code for the south and the Penal Code for the north. There are other acts, the ones we refer to as miscellaneous acts. These laws are not restricted documents. Let’s get them, read, and be familiar with our laws as Nigeria is not a lawless country.”
In response, Obe, a former head of the Civil Liberties Organisation, countered, highlighting the complexities of Nigeria’s legal system. She wrote, “Many states have their own criminal law codes. Sticking to ‘Criminal Code for the South, Penal Code for the North’ is what got [the Nigeria Police Force] into the kind of mess that had them travel from Ekiti to Lagos to arrest [Dele Farotimi] for acts that were not an offence in either State.”
The incident referenced by Obe occurred on December 3, 2024, when officers from the Ekiti State Police Command arrested Farotimi at his Lagos office over allegations of defamation by legal luminary Afe Babalola.
Farotimi was transported to Ekiti State, a move that critics argue disregarded the jurisdictional nuances of Nigeria’s legal system.
Obe’s remarks underscore the need for law enforcement to have a more nuanced understanding of Nigeria’s diverse legal frameworks.
She argued that relying on broad categorisations of criminal laws, such as the Criminal Code for the South and the Penal Code for the North, risks procedural errors and jurisdictional overreach.
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