Kehinde Fajobi
Following the withdrawal of lawsuits by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Afe Babalola against lawyer and rights activist Dele Farotimi, concerns remain over other pending cases against him.
Farotimi was arrested and charged with 12 cybercrime offences and 16 counts of criminal defamation after Babalola’s petition. However, other lawyers are still pursuing legal actions, seeking over ₦1 billion in damages.
On December 6, 2024, SAN Kehinde Ogunwumiju sued Farotimi over alleged defamatory statements in his book, Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System.
Ogunwumiju, a managing partner at Afe Babalola & Co, demanded ₦500 million in damages and urged the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja to halt the book’s sale.
He also requested an order for the seizure of copies nationwide and demanded an apology in two national newspapers.
Days later, on December 11, 2024, another lawyer from Babalola’s firm, Ola Faro, filed a separate suit at the Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt.
Faro claimed that the book falsely accused him, Babalola, and their firm of compromising the integrity of the Supreme Court.
He sought ₦500 million in damages for defamation and an additional ₦100 million for distributing the book.
Meanwhile, following mediation efforts led by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, and other traditional rulers, police prosecutor Samson Osobu applied last Wednesday to withdraw the cybercrime charges against Farotimi at the Federal High Court in Ado-Ekiti.
However, a separate criminal defamation case against him at the Chief Magistrate’s Court in Ado-Ekiti remains active, with a hearing scheduled for February 13.