Court grant Dele Farotimi ₦30 million bail

Court don grant human rights lawyer, Dele Farotimi ₦30 million bail for im alleged defamation case wit Afe Babalola.

Magistrate court for Ekiti ask Farotimi to provide three sureties wey get landed property for di south west state.

Di court also tell am to avoid media interview and dem ask am to submit im international passport.

Dem adjourn im Farotimi case to 13th February 2025.

Tori be say, Farotimi don spend ova two weeks for di correctional centre for Ado Ekiti wia authorities keep am sake of dis mata.

Na wit prison van dem carry Farotimi come court wit police escort on Friday. As im come down from di van, e raise im hand up to greet di crowd wey gada outside.

Im bail dey come afta di magistrate, Abayomi Adeosun last sitting been reserve ruling until 20 December

During di court proceedings, Farotimi plead not guilty to di 14-count charge against am by di police.

Im lawyer, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, bin ask di court to strike out di charge.

According to am, di charge bifor di court dey unknown to law and di offence of defamation no dey recognised under di Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2021.

Farotimi arrest don make many pipo tok, dem dey call for im immediate release.

Opposition leaders including former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Omoyele Sowore, na some of di ogbonge pipo wey dey hala make di authorities release Farotimi.

‘Nigeria and its Criminal Justice system’

Dele Farotimi bin write and publish di book for November 2024. Di book get hard copies and e-versions.

Some details from inside di book tok about one land case wey happun for Eti-Osa LGA of Lagos state wia di Afe Babalola lawyers represent dia client and win di case.

Di book also get many oda tori of court cases wey e feel say di judiciary no handle well.

Dele Farotimi na lawyer, public speaker, and author.

Dem call am to di Nigerian bar for 1999 until im retire for 2018 afta years of legal service.

Im na activist and e begin ginger for beta Nigeria since im undergraduate days for Lagos State University (Lasu) – wia e later become president of dia Student Union between 1994 and 1995.

Since den, Farotimi don become activist wey dey tok about bad governance and advocate for good leadership for Nigeria.

Im don write oda books including ‘Do Not Die In Their War'.

For 2023, di activist campaign for di presidential candidate of Labour Party, Peter Obi.

Dele Farotimi vs Afe Babalola

Di koko be say Chief Afe Babalola write 31 page petition to di police wia e accuse Farotimi of alleged defamation and intent to cause fear and to alarm di public or disturb public peace.

Acting on di petition, police arrest di activist for Lagos, carry am go Ekiti State wia dem charge am to court. Di document list 16 count charges against am.

Di court papers show say di case na between commissioner of police and Dele Farotimi.

Count one of di charges read say Oga Farotimi write book wey im title ‘Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System’, say e use di book sama accusation on Chief Afe Babalola say e corrupt Supreme Court to procure fraudulent judgement for im clients.

Di document claim say di writer know say wetin im write inside di book na lie, but e go ahead to write in order to destroy di name and reputation of di ogbonge lawyer.

Anoda of di charge say di author use di book push false allegation wey go wunjure di Senior Advocate reputation and cause am hatred, contempt, ridicule and damage to im profession.

Count five of di charges say di writer allegedly criminally defame di pesin of Chief Afe Babalola by accusing am say e corrupt di Supreme Court to collect beta judgement for im client.

Di court papers also accuse Farotimi say e "defame and expose to hatred, contempt and ridicule office of Afe Babalola law chambers and im lawyers wey include Olu and Daramola, Olu Faro."

According to di court papers, di writer allegedly commit offense against section 373 of di Criminal Code Act and dey liable to punishment under section 375 of same act.