A Magistrate court in Ekiti State has granted human rights lawyer, Dele Farotimi ₦30 million bail.
Farotimi arrived at the Ekiti Magistrate Court, with heavy security comprising policemen and other law enforcement agents.
He was remanded in prison custody on December 7, 2024, after being docked on 16 counts charge borthering on criminal defamation in his book, Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System.
Renowned Senior Advocate of Nigeria and founder of Afe Babalola University, Aare Afe Babalola, had alleged that lawyer and activist Dele Farotimi defamed his book.
The accusation stems from a Supreme Court judgment involving a land dispute that spanned over two decades.
In a petition dated November 19 and addressed to the Ekiti State Commissioner of Police, Adeniran Akinwale, Babalola detailed how his law firm discovered Farotimi’s book, Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System and the defamatory contents therein.
“I write to report the criminal defamation of myself, my law firm Afe Babalola & Co and my lawyers in person of Olu Daramola SAN and Ola Faro by one Dele Farotimi in his book titled ‘NIGERIA AND ITS CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM’ published by Dele Farotimi publishers in respect of Suit no: SC/146/2005: Major Muritala Gbadamosi Eletu & Ors V. H.R.H Oba Tijani Akinloye & Ors,” the petition read.
