Court Grants Dele Farotimi N50 Million Bail

The Federal High Court in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, has granted human rights lawyer and activist, Dele Farotimi, bail in the sum of N50 million. The court’s ruling was shared by Omoyele Sowore, the presidential candidate for the African Action Congress in the 2023 election, via his X (formerly Twitter) account on Monday.

Sowore revealed that Farotimi had been granted bail with a surety of the same amount, with the requirement that the surety owns landed property. The case was adjourned to January 29, 2025.

In a subsequent tweet, Sowore described the trial as a “farcical” one and stated that it would continue the next day (Tuesday) at the Magistrate Court in Ado-Ekiti, over an alleged offence that does not exist in Ekiti State law. He also called on the Attorney-General of Ekiti to halt the proceedings immediately.

Farotimi’s legal troubles began on December 7, 2024, when he was remanded in prison custody after his arrest on 16 counts of criminal defamation. This follows allegations made by Aare Afe Babalola, a prominent Senior Advocate of Nigeria and founder of Afe Babalola University, in his book Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System. Babalola claims Farotimi defamed him by accusing him of corruption linked to a Supreme Court ruling in a protracted land dispute.

In his petition to the Ekiti State Commissioner of Police, Babalola alleged that Farotimi’s book falsely portrayed him as having “corrupted the Supreme Court” and led it to commit “egregious acts of injustice.” Farotimi was apprehended by officers from the Lagos State Police Command and transported to Ekiti for trial.

Meanwhile, despite the Ekiti State Police Command issuing a ban on public gatherings and protests for security reasons, the Take It Back (TIB) Movement has vowed to continue with planned protests in Ekiti, Lagos, Abuja, London, and Canada in support of Farotimi. TIB National Coordinator Juwon Sanyaolu condemned the police’s actions, asserting that the force had no legal right to prohibit peaceful protests.

Babalola’s legal team has indicated that Farotimi’s release hinges on his ability to substantiate the defamation claims he made in his book.