Despite the recent withdrawal of a legal case against lawyer and rights activist, Mr. Dele Farotimi, concerns remain over other pending lawsuits seeking over ₦1 billion in damages.
The situation follows the withdrawal of a petition by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Afe Babalola, who had earlier accused Farotimi of cybercrime and criminal defamation. However, other legal actions continue to mount.
On December 6, 2024, another SAN, Mr. Kehinde Ogunwumiju, sued Farotimi for defamation over statements in his book, Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System. Ogunwumiju, a Managing Partner at Afe Babalola & Co, is seeking ₦500 million in damages and has requested the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja to ban the book’s sale and seize all existing copies. He also demanded a public apology in two national newspapers.
Less than a week later, on December 11, 2024, another lawyer from Babalola’s firm, Mr. Ola Faro, filed a separate defamation suit at the Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt, accusing Farotimi of making false allegations against him, Babalola, and their law firm. Faro is also demanding ₦500 million in damages and an additional ₦100 million for the book’s distribution.
Meanwhile, following interventions by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, and other traditional rulers, police prosecutor Samson Osobu applied for the withdrawal of cybercrime charges against Farotimi at the Federal High Court in Ado-Ekiti last Wednesday.
However, a separate criminal charge against Farotimi before a Chief Magistrate’s Court in Ado-Ekiti remains unresolved, with a hearing still scheduled for February 13, 2025.
Farotimi was arrested in Lagos on December 3, 2024, following a petition to the Ekiti State Commissioner of Police.
Confirming the arrest, Ekiti State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Abutu Sunday, stated:
“Mr. Dele Farotimi is currently under investigation following a petition alleging defamation of character and cyberbullying. He was arrested in Lagos under a warrant after repeated attempts to bring him in for questioning proved unsuccessful.”
While the initial case filed by Afe Babalola has been dropped, the legal battles against Farotimi continue, raising further debate on defamation, free speech, and legal accountability in Nigeria.
