By
Human rights lawyer, Dele Farotimi, has been granted bail by an Ekiti State Magistrate Court in a defamation case filed by Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Afe Babalola.
The court granted Farotimi bail for ₦50 million, with a surety of the same value. The surety must provide proof of ownership of a landed property.
The case has been postponed until January 29, 2025, for additional proceedings.
Farotimi was taken to court following his arrest by operatives of the Ekiti State Police Command.
The defamation allegations arise from claims made in his book, Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System, which Afe Babalola, 95, argues are damaging to his reputation.
The arrest sparked widespread outrage across the country, with civil society organizations and the Nigerian Bar Association calling for Farotimi’s release and condemning the alleged suppression of free expression.
