UBA Denies Involvement in Human Rights Lawyer’s Arrest, Clears Tony Elumelu of Allegations

The United Bank for Africa (UBA) has denied allegations linking its founder and CEO, Tony Elumelu, to the recent arrest of human rights lawyer Dele Farotimi by officers of the Nigerian Police Force.

In a statement made available to Investors King on Tuesday, December 3, a top staff member of UBA disclosed that Elumelu had no hand in Farotimi’s arrest and never authorised the police to arrest anyone.

Reports of Dele Farotimi‘s arrest by officials from Zone 2 Command, Lagos, over an alleged defamation petition filed by a complainant sparked outrage on social media.

According to reports, the petition alleged that Farotimi made defamatory statements against the complainant in a public forum.

His arrest comes after the human rights lawyer raised concerns about alleged threats to his life, accusing politicians, security agencies, and legal practitioners of intimidating him.

In a statement titled “They Want to Silence Me”, the lawyer recounted receiving a police invitation on November 11, requesting his presence at Zone 2 Command on November 13 at 10:00 AM.

Accompanied by his legal counsel, Farotimi reportedly arrived at the station at 9:45 AM on the specified date.

“At the station, I was presented with a petition written by a lawyer, accusing me of defamation,” Farotimi stated. “Despite finding the petition baseless, I addressed its content.”

In a statement shared on his X (formerly Twitter) handle on Tuesday, Omoyele Sowore, the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2023 election, criticised the Police for allegedly serving as a tool for personal grievances while fingering the UBA boss as the one responsible for the arrest.

Reacting to this allegation, the UBA dismissed the claim saying, “Tony Elumelu has no hand in Dele’s arrest.”

This development comes hours after the UBA group secured a license allowing the bank to commence full banking operations in France with the aim of easing international transactions between Nigeria, Africa, and Europe.