Prominent Senior Advocate of Nigeria and the esteemed founder of Afe Babalola University, Aare Afe Babalola, has publicly addressed the recent arrest of human rights attorney Dele Farotimi, who is accused of defamation regarding content in a newly released book.
Babalola’s allegations focus on statements made in Farotimi’s book, Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System, which he asserts have adversely affected his reputation and that of his legal practice.
The allegations arise from a Supreme Court judgment pertaining to a land dispute case that has spanned two decades.
In a formal petition dated November 19 and directed to Ekiti State Commissioner of Police Adeniran Akinwale, Babalola elaborated on how his legal team identified the defamatory statements present in Farotimi’s publication.
The petition claims that the book insinuates that Babalola and his law firm participated in unethical conduct, including manipulation of the judiciary. It further alleges that they have been involved in “corrupting the Supreme Court over an extended period and compelling it to execute the most profound acts of injustice.”
Babalola stated, “The defamatory claims question my integrity and accuse my law firm, Afe Babalola & Co., of compromising the Supreme Court and engaging in fraudulent acts to benefit our client.”
The petition specified that one of his attorneys encountered the book at Murtala Muhammed Airport on November 2, 2024, and subsequently informed him. After reviewing the material, other attorneys within his firm corroborated its defamatory nature.
Specific claims delineated in the petition include:
Allegations of corrupting the Supreme Court to obtain a fraudulent ruling. Assertions that Babalola and his team undermined the integrity of the judiciary. Statements indicating that the law firm led the Supreme Court into “a quagmire of corruption and disgraceful self-denial.”
Babalola’s petition has called upon the authorities to take appropriate action against Farotimi for the purported defamatory remarks. Farotimi’s detention has since ignited public debate, with demands for legal and professional resolutions to this matter.
