By ‘Human rights lawyer and activist Dele Farotimi has openly declared his resilience on his X account (formerly Twitter) following his recent release from detention.
Farotimi, who faced criminal defamation charges for allegations made in his book Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System, was detained after senior lawyer Afe Babalola filed a petition accusing him of defamation.
In the book, Farotimi claims that Babalola, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and founder of Afe Babalola University, corrupted Nigeria’s Supreme Court in service of his clients.
On his X page, Farotimi stated by quoting lines in Yoruba:
“Oni la o pa Jakuta
Ola la o pa Jakuta
Enu enu ni won fi n’pa Jakuta!
Oosa ti Sango o le na
Ni’se l’Oosa ohun me’re sa!
I face no fears. I have none. “He stated
Farotimi’s legal ordeal began in November when Babalola petitioned the police in Ekiti State, citing 31 excerpts from the book as defamatory.
In December, Farotimi was arrested in Lagos and transferred to Ado Ekiti.
At the Federal High Court in Ado Ekiti, where Farotimi faces cybercrime charges, he was granted bail of N50 million on December 9. However, he remained in detention until the Chief Magistrate’s Court in Ado Ekiti, where he faces 16 counts of criminal defamation, granted him bail and released him on Friday, 20th of December, 2024
