“How Dele Farotimi Defamed Me,” Afe Babalola Finally Speaks
- Aare Afe Babalola has explained how lawyer and activist Dele Farotimi defamed him through the contents of his book, Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System
- Babalola noted that Farotimi made several defamatory statements against him, his law firm, Afe Babalola & Co (Emmanuel Chambers), and his lawyers, Olu Daramola SAN and Ola Faro Esq.
- Babalola submitted a petition to the Ekiti state commissioner of police, Adeniran Akinwale, on November 19, requesting a criminal defamation investigation regarding the book's defamatory contents
Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.
Aare Afe Babalola, a renowned Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and founder of Afe Babalola University (ABU), has claimed that lawyer and activist Dele Farotimi defamed him in a book published recently.
Source: Twitter
According to reports released on Thursday, December 5, the accusation, stemmed from a Supreme Court judgment involving a land dispute that spanned over two decades.
In a petition made available to the press, the defamation allegations were linked to a Supreme Court case, SC/146/2005: Major Muritala Gbadamosi Eletu & Ors V. H.R.H Oba Tijani Akinloye & Ors.
In a petition dated November 19, 2024, 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 its defamatory contents.
Allegations against Babalola in Farotimi's book
According to the Nigerian Tribune, Farotimi's book alleges that Babalola influenced Nigeria's Supreme Court to secure fraudulent judgments for his clients, casting doubt on the judiciary’s integrity.
Specifically, Count I alleges that Farotimi's claims “are likely to cause fear and alarm to the public or disturb the public peace,” a violation under Section 59(1) of the Criminal Code Act.
Count III accuses the author of knowingly injuring Babalola's reputation by claiming he "corrupted the Supreme Court," exposing him to hatred and ridicule.
As reported by The Punch, Afe Babalola claimed the book contained several defamatory statements that questioned his integrity and accused Rotimi's law firm of unethical practices, including corrupting the judiciary.
He added:
“Sometime on 2/11/2024, one of our lawyers while travelling through Murtala Muhammed Airport bought a book by Dele Farotimi titled ‘NIGERIA AND ITS CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM’ published by Dele Farotimi publishers. He read the said book and immediately brought it to my attention. Many of my lawyers also bought the said book and read same.”
Legit.ng reported that a chief magistrate’s court in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti state capital, on Wednesday, December 4, remanded Farotimi, a ’retired’ lawyer and activist, in prison over alleged defamation of Afe Babalola, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and founder of Afe Babalola University Ado Ekiti (ABUAD).
Read Afe Babalola's full text.
Read more about Dele Farotimi's case here:
- Nationwide protest looms as obidients demand immediate release of Dele Farotimi
- Afe Babalola: ‘Dele Farotimi’s arrest wasn’t on alleged defamation’, lawyer speaks
- Dele Farotimi: 'Libel is not crime': NBA schools Afe Babalola, police over arrest of popular lawyer
Moment Dele Farotimi was whisked away
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that activist Aisha Yesufu shared a closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage showing the moment police operatives arrested and took away Farotimi.
Yesufu likened Farotimi's arrest to a terror attack and called on Nigerian authorities to prioritise the urgent task of combating the real threats plaguing our nation.
Proofreading by Nkem Ikeke, journalist and copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
