The Federal High Court in Abuja has issued an ex-parte order stopping the production and distribution of the book Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System, authored by human rights lawyer and activist Dele Farotimi.
The court order, granted at the request of Afe Babalola, SAN, also directs the seizure of all book copies, including digital editions.
The ruling follows allegations of criminal defamation against Babalola, detailed in Farotimi’s book, which accuses the senior advocate of manipulating the judiciary to secure favourable rulings for his clients.
The lawsuit, filed under Suit No. CV/5372/24 by Kehinde Ogunwumiju, SAN, on behalf of Babalola, seeks to restrain Farotimi and any affiliated parties from further publishing, selling, or distributing the book.
The interlocutory injunction states:
An order of interlocutory injunction restraining the defendant/respondent, whether acting by himself, his staff, employees, servants, privies, representatives, agents, publishers, distributors, sellers, re-publishers, re-sellers, or any other person however described including Amazon Online Bookstore… from further publishing, selling, circulating, advertising, or distributing the physical/hard/digital/soft copies of the book authored by the defendant/respondent titled: Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System.
The book recently gained global recognition as a bestseller in Amazon’s politics category and has become a flashpoint for discussions about judicial independence and freedom of expression in Nigeria.
Recall Farotimi was abducted last week in Lagos and arraigned before a Magistrate Court in Ado-Ekiti on charges of criminal defamation.
He pleaded not guilty to the allegations. Despite his legal team’s efforts to secure bail, the prosecution opposed the application, citing concerns that Farotimi might intimidate witnesses or jump bail.
The court has adjourned the bail ruling to December 20, leaving the activist lawyer in custody.
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