I Still Face Four Lawsuits From Afe Babalola’s Firm – Dele Farotimi
Lawyer and Activist lawyer Dele Farotimi has disclosed that he was still faced with four separate suits filed by members of the Aare Afe Babalola law office in different states.
Farotimi disclosed this on Sunday while speaking during the Toyin Falola Interviews.
It would be recalled that Farotimi was arrested and charged to court on the order of the Founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, Aare Afe Babalola (SAN), for criminal defamation.
Consequently, Farotimi stood trial for alleged criminal defamation before an Ekiti State Magistrate Court, Ado Ekiti District,, and as well for alleged cyber-bullying before the Ado Ekiti Division of Federal High Court.
However, Babalola, on January 27, agreed to withdraw the cases instituted against Farotimi following the intervention of some top traditional rulers, which included the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi.
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But featuring on Sunday’s conversation, with the theme: “Politics, Law and Society,” Farotimi disclosed that while the police had withdrawn criminal charges against him following Babalola’s petition withdrawal, he still faced four civil suits across different states, all filed by members of Babalola’s law office.
“My inability to speak to certain aspects of this issue is borne out of the fact that, despite the discontinuation of the criminal proceeding, I still have four suits that I am aware of, in four different states of the federation, filed by members of the same law office, against my person,” he revealed.
Farotimi emphasised that his book was not written in a moment of idle talk or baseless accusations but rather a well-researched work documenting his experiences and observations about the Nigerian judicial system.
“I did not sit down in a beer parlour; I was not at an officers’ mess; I was not gossiping. It was not idle, cheap talk. I wrote a book,” he declared. “Let us deal with veracity. Anybody can go and read and then come back and challenge me with the lie that I have told.”
Dismissing claims that the controversy surrounding his book is a personal battle, Farotimi insisted that what is on trial is not his reputation, but the Nigerian legal system itself.
“This is not a trial of Dele Farotimi. Let nobody make that error. It is a trial of the legal system that we have built as a collective,” he asserted.
He reaffirmed that his controversial book, ‘Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System’, is not an attack on individuals, particularly legal luminary Chief Afe Babalola, but rather a critique of systemic corruption within the judiciary.
He stressed that his work was written in pursuit of justice, not personal vendettas.
“Chief Afe Babalola is more than old enough to be my father,” Farotimi said. “I did not set out to destroy the man or to tarnish his image. Nothing personal. I was writing about the institution of the judiciary.”
Olamilekan Adigun is a graduate of Mass Communication with years of experience in journalism embedded in uncovering human interest stories. He also prioritises accuracy and factual reportage of issues.
