….condemn unlawful, misuse of “Form K”, security agents
- By Demola Atobaba, Ado-Ekiti
Leadership of African Democratic Party (ADC), Ekiti State chapter has condemned the arrest of the House of Assembly candidate in Ado Constuency 1, Mr Ayodele Babatola for the alleged rape by the officers of the Rapid Respons Squared (RRS) on Tuesday.
Addressing journalists in Ado-Ekiti at a press briefing on Wednesday, a chieftain of the party, Rt. Hon. Olugboyega Aribisogan who spoke on behalf of the ADC described the arrest as unlawful, unjust and totally condemnable.
According to him, Ayodele Babatola knew nothing about the allegations leveled against him. “Today our party speak to a matter that strikes at the heart of our democracy and the rule of law in Ekiti State”.
“On Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at about 11am the news of the arrest and detention of Mr Ayodele Babatola, the African Democratic Congress ( ADC) candidate for the Ekiti State House of Assembly in the forth coming 2027 election filtered into Secretariat of our great party.
“It was reported that he was arrested and detained by officers of the Nigeria Police on unsubstantiated rape allegations.
“It was also reported that Ayodele Babatola was arrested by the men of Rapid Response Squad (RRS) without a valid warrant, a gross violation of the Nigerian Constitution. More disturbing is that his hurried arraignment was through the use of a notorious document known as “Form K”.
Aribisogan stated that, “Form K” is a remand warrant application used by the police to seek the permission of a magistrate to hold a suspect pending investigation or trial. It was never intended to be a tool for indefinite detention or political intimidation.
While commenting on the personality of victim, Hon. Aribisogan maintained that Ayodele babatola is a calm and easy going and an activist personality.
“Mr Ayodele Babatola is a social activist who been constantly harrased by the police in Ekiti over his criticism of government non performance. He’s an advocate of good governance in the state. His activities around the state is well known since he joined politics. As an American trained soldier, Ayo Babatola is well brought up Ekiti son who has never been reported as having involved in any criminality. Nigerians can attest to his character through his advocacy on video analysis of the bad state of roads and other vices in Ekiti state.
We are not in doubt as to where this rape charges is coming from. The men of RRS has reportedly used the dreaded Form K to send many citizens of Ekiti state to prison in the last few months. The ruling All Progressives. The RRS had been consistent in using it’s men to muzzle the opposition within and outside the state.
“What we are witnessing in Ekiti state today is the weaponization of Form K. It is being used to detain citizens arbitrarily, circumvent due process, and keep opposition out of circulation during critical election periods. Honestly, this is an abuse of police powers and a direct assault on Section 35 and 36 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantee the right to personal liberty and fair hearing.
He futher said observed that, “Detaining a candidate of a political party on the eve of elections under questionable charges and keeping him locked up through the mechanical filing of Form K undermines free and fair elections. It has sent a message to Ekiti people that the police are being used to silence opposition voices during this election period.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) as a party do not condone criminality. If there is any credible allegations against Ayodele Babatola, let it be investigated thoroughly and prosecuted in accordance with the law.
What we condemn is the use of state institutions like the officers and men of the RRS to harass, intimidate, and illegally detain a citizen because of his political affiliation.
“The Nigeria Police Force is meant to be a public trust, not a political tool in the hand of political oppressor. The continued misuse of Form K to justify unlawful detention must stop.
Aribisogan therefore appealed to the security outfits to uphold the trust and earn themselves a good reputation. “We therefore call on the Inspector General of Police, to immediately review the circumstances of Mr Babatola’s arrest and order his release unless a lawful basis for his long detention exists.
We also call on the Chief Judge of Ekiti State and the judiciary to scrutinize the police application for remand warrants in respect of the matter and reject it for lack of credible evidence of rape charges against Ayodele Babatola.
“We also use this medium to urge the National Human Rights Commission to investigate this case and the broader pattern of using Form K to detain Ekiti citizens without trial”.
“The Independent National Electoral Commission should also take note of this brazen interference and ensure that the electoral process in Ekiti State is not compromised by state-sponsored intimidation and harassment”.
“Ekiti state cannot build a democracy on the back of illegal arrests and detention. If a candidate can be picked up and locked away without due process today, no citizen is safe tomorrow. “We therefore demand the immediate and unconditional release of Mr Ayodele Babatola, and an end to the misuse of police powers to subvert democracy in Ekiti State.” Aribisogan concluded.
