Dele Farotimi, a prominent human rights advocate, has said he was not consulted by traditional rulers who went to beg Afe Babalola, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN) to withdraw a defamation suit brought against him.
Gatekeepers News reports that Farotimi stated this during an interview on the ‘Toyin Falola Interviews’ program.
In December 2024, Farotimi was arrested in Lagos and subsequently taken to Ekiti, where he was remanded for 21 days by the Ekiti state magistrate court in Ado-Ekiti. The charges against him included “criminal defamation” relating to his book, ‘Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System’. This case stemmed from a petition filed by Babalola, leading to his arrest.
Farotimi was released on December 24, 2024, after being granted bail set at N30 million. On January 26, traditional rulers, including Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, the Ooni of Ife, visited Babalola at his residence in Ado Ekiti to plead for the withdrawal of the suit against Farotimi. Following their discussions, Babalola agreed to dismiss the petition.
During the interview, Farotimi asserted that his book was based on personal observations rather than hearsay, emphasizing that he did not write it to defame anyone.
He noted that while Babalola’s name was mentioned, the book included references to various individuals, reflecting a broader critique of the justice system in Nigeria.
“Maybe we have become too accustomed to lies and allergic to truth, to the point where telling the truth has become a sin,” he said.
“Let us deal with veracity. Anybody can go and read and then come back and challenge me.
“What have been withdrawn are the charges preferred by the police, even though they were preferred at the instance of a petitioner who has now withdrawn his petition.
“I have no agreement with anybody as to what I may or may not speak to. I was not privy to the visit by the royalties to Ado-Ekiti. I read of it in the news like every other person.
“If I was not consulted before persons went on a mission to Ado-Ekiti, I can hardly be party to an agreement that did not have any privity with me.”
