Dele Farotimi, a lawyer and activist, has been granted bail by the Federal High Court in Ado Ekiti following the defamation case filed against him by the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun. Farotimi faces charges of cybercrime, stemming from an interview related to his book, Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System, which discussed Aare Afe Babalola, the founder of Afe Babalola University in Ado Ekiti. The case was heard by Justice Babs Kuewumi.
Farotimi was initially arrested in Lagos last week and remanded in prison custody after being arraigned in a magistrate court in Ekiti State. On Monday, his defence team successfully applied for bail, which was granted at N50 million with a surety of equal sum. The court also ordered Farotimi to submit his passport as part of the bail conditions. His legal team is now working to meet these conditions to secure his release.
The charges against Farotimi, as detailed in an amended 12-count indictment, focus primarily on allegations of disseminating online content that could incite public unrest. Despite vigorous opposition from the police counsel, who argued against bail, the court granted the application. Farotimi pleaded not guilty to the charges and his defence team, led by Prof. Sylvester Emiri (SAN), intends to challenge the criminal defamation charges in future proceedings.
A key issue raised by Farotimi’s legal team is the absence of a specific criminal defamation law in Ekiti State. The defence argues that the charges filed in the Magistrates’ Court should be contested, as no such offence exists under the state’s criminal code. This will be addressed in the upcoming hearing before the Magistrate Court.
Meanwhile, a group known as Justice for Afe Babalola Legacy (JABL) has expressed support for Babalola, demanding justice over the alleged defamation. The group’s Publicity Secretary, Rotimi Opeyeoluwa, insisted that Farotimi must provide evidence for his claims about Babalola’s alleged corruption. Additionally, Chief Michael Osaloni, the Olotin of Ado Ekiti, warned against any planned protests, advising those involved to refrain from disrupting the situation, as they would face serious consequences.
