Barely a week after prominent Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Afe Babalola, withdrew his legal actions against rights activist Mr. Dele Farotimi, there is growing unease across Nigeria regarding the future of other unresolved lawsuits targeting the activist.
The concern stems from Farotimi’s ongoing legal troubles, which include a series of lawsuits filed by various legal practitioners, as well as his arrest and subsequent charges. Farotimi was apprehended by the police and charged with 12 counts of cybercrime and 16 counts of criminal defamation.
These charges were primarily based on a petition filed by Babalola. However, beyond Babalola’s withdrawal, other lawyers have emerged with their own legal claims, demanding over N1 billion in damages.
In a notable move, on December 6, 2024, another SAN, Mr. Kehinde Ogunwumiju, initiated a defamation lawsuit against Farotimi. Ogunwumiju, who is the Managing Partner at Afe Babalola & Co, sought N500 million in damages over alleged defamatory statements in Farotimi’s book, Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System. Furthermore, Ogunwumiju requested the Federal Capital Territory High Court to issue an injunction halting the publication and sale of the book in both physical and online bookstores. He also urged the court to seize any existing copies of the book and demanded an apology from Farotimi in two national newspapers.
Just days later, on December 11, 2024, another lawyer from Babalola’s law firm, Mr. Ola Faro, took similar action. Faro filed a petition in the Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt, accusing Farotimi of defaming him in the same book.
Faro pointed to specific passages in the book that allegedly suggest he, along with Babalola and the law firm, had compromised the integrity of Nigeria’s Supreme Court. Faro denied the allegations and claimed they were intentionally fabricated to damage his reputation.
In his suit, Faro demanded N500 million in damages for defamation, in addition to N100 million for the book’s distribution.
While these legal battles continue to unfold, an important development came last week when the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, along with other traditional leaders, intervened in the dispute between Babalola and Farotimi.
This intervention seemed to influence the police’s approach, as the prosecution applied for the withdrawal of the cybercrime charges against Farotimi at a court hearing in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, on January 31, 2025.
However, concerns remain about the other ongoing legal issues Farotimi faces.
A criminal charge, unrelated to the cybercrime allegations, remains before a Chief Magistrate’s Court in Ado-Ekiti. Sources indicate that this case, scheduled for hearing on February 13, 2025, has not been withdrawn as of this writing.
Farotimi’s legal troubles began on December 3, 2024, when news broke that he had been arrested in Lagos by the police.
The Ekiti State Police Command confirmed his arrest, with DSP Abutu Sunday, the Police Public Relations Officer, stating that Farotimi was being investigated for defamation and cyberbullying following a petition against him.
As the legal storm continues to brew, many Nigerians are left wondering what the outcome of Farotimi’s multiple lawsuits and charges will be, and whether these cases will set a precedent for free speech and activism in the country.
