Defamation Allegations: LPDC Rejects Afe Babalola Chambers’ Petition To Debar Farotimi

The Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) has dismissed a petition filed by Emmanuel Chambers, the law firm of Chief Afe Babalola, SAN, seeking to revoke the practicing license of lawyer and author Tomilola “Dele” Farotimi over allegations of defamation and professional misconduct.

The petition, authored by Ola Faro of Emmanuel Chambers, alleged that Farotimi’s book, Nigeria and the Criminal Justice System, contained defamatory statements about the Supreme Court and the legal profession.

In its report, the LPDC ruled that the alleged offences were committed in Farotimi’s capacity as an author and not in his professional role as a legal practitioner. Consequently, the LPDC concluded it lacked jurisdiction over the matter and advised the petitioners to seek redress in regular courts.

“The publication is an intellectual property and not a conduct or action committed while practicing as a legal practitioner. All aggrieved parties who find the publication defamatory should ventilate their grievances through the regular courts,” said LPDC Chairman, Justice Isaq Usman Bello.

The petition accused Farotimi of distorting facts in relation to a Supreme Court case, SC/146/2006, between Major Muritala Gbadamosi Eletu and HRH Oba Tijani Akinloye and others. The book reportedly alleged corruption, bribery, and other unethical practices among judicial officers and the legal community.

The Chambers argued that Farotimi’s statements violated several provisions of the *Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners 2023*. Specific accusations included disrespecting fellow lawyers and actions deemed obstructive to justice for personal gain. Emmanuel Chambers had requested that Farotimi’s name be struck off the Roll of Legal Practitioners.

Farotimi, a lawyer and vocal critic of Nigeria’s justice system, has maintained that his book is an intellectual critique of systemic issues rather than a personal attack.

With the LPDC’s rejection of the petition, the onus is now on Emmanuel Chambers to pursue its grievances through the civil court system, potentially setting the stage for a defamation lawsuit. The case has highlighted tensions between intellectual freedom and professional ethics within Nigeria’s legal community.