Farotimi Appreciates Nigerians for Uniting Beyond Divisions to Support Him During Trial

Human rights advocate and author Dele Farotimi has expressed heartfelt gratitude to Nigerians for their overwhelming support during his recent legal ordeal, transcending tribal and religious differences.

Recall that The Ekiti State Magistrate Court in Ado-Ekiti remanded Farotimi in custody for 21 days following accusations of “criminal defamation” against Afe Babalola. The allegations stemmed from content in Farotimi’s best-selling book, Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System.

On December 24, Farotimi regained his freedom after being granted bail at ₦30 million. In an emotional interview on social media after his release, Farotimi broke down in tears, acknowledging the unity and solidarity of Nigerians who stood by him irrespective of their backgrounds.

We stopped being humans because we became Nigerians. They divided us, and we fell for it. But you did not see me as a Yoruba man; you spoke for me. You did not see me as a Christian; you spoke for me. Because you spoke, Nigeria could not happen to me, he said. You found your voices, I became you, and in our collective, we could not be silenced.

Meanwhile, the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) has dismissed a petition from Emmanuel Chambers, Afe Babalola’s law firm, seeking Farotimi’s disbarment for alleged unethical conduct. Isaq Bello, chairman of the LPDC, clarified that the allegations pertained to Farotimi’s work as an author and did not involve any breaches of his professional duties as a lawyer.

Recall a Federal High Court in Abuja issued an ex-parte order stopping the production and distribution of the book ‘Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System,’ authored by Farotimi. The court order, granted at the request of Afe Babalola, SAN, also directs the seizure of all book copies, including digital editions.

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