The Afe Babalola Law Firm has submitted a petition to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee, calling for the removal of human rights activist and lawyer, Dele Farotimi, from the roll of Nigerian legal practitioners.
The 90-page petition, filed on December 6, 2024, accuses Farotimi of breaching several provisions of the Rules of Professional Conduct for lawyers.
Signed by Ola Faro, a partner at the firm, the petition highlights Farotimi’s alleged misconduct in his book, ‘Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System’.
It claims that Farotimi made defamatory allegations against Nigeria’s judiciary, including the Supreme Court justices, judges of the Lagos High Court, and members of Afe Babalola & Co., tarnishing their reputations.
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The petition also cites Farotimi’s involvement in unethical conduct, such as bribing judicial officers and making false statements regarding a Supreme Court ruling.
Faro, writing both personally and on behalf of Afe Babalola & Co., asserts that Farotimi’s actions are in violation of several key rules, including misconduct unbecoming of a legal practitioner, as well as engaging in illegal conduct that obstructs the administration of justice.
Farotimi allegedly made false accusations of corruption against justices, attempted to frustrate a Supreme Court decision, and treated colleagues and the court with disrespect.
The petition further notes that Farotimi’s actions were compounded by his alleged unlawful access to judicial officers and participation in fraudulent activities with his clients.
This behavior, it claims, undermines the legal profession’s dignity and disrupts the fair administration of justice.
The petition follows previous legal actions against Farotimi, including orders from the Federal Capital Territory High Court and Oyo State High Court barring him from publishing or distributing his book.
Farotimi has also been arrested and arraigned on charges of defamation and cyberbullying, with police alleging that his book falsely accused prominent figures, including Afe Babalola, of corruption. Farotimi remains in prison following his arraignment.
