LPDC Rejects Petition to Disbar Dele Farotimi

The Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) has dismissed the request from Chief Afe Babalola’s (SAN) law firm, Emmanuel Chambers, to revoke the practicing license of lawyer and author Tomilola Farotimi, also known as Dele Farotimi. The petition, which accused Farotimi of criminal defamation and professional misconduct, was rejected by the committee.

The petition, filed by Mr. Ola Faro from Emmanuel Chambers, alleged that Farotimi had made defamatory statements against the Supreme Court and the legal profession in his book Nigeria and the Criminal Justice System, thereby warranting his disbarment. The complaint claimed that the book distorted facts regarding a case (SC/146/2006) between Major Muritala Gbadamosi Eletu and HRH Oba Tijani Akinloye and others, accusing judicial officers and the legal community of unethical practices such as corruption and bribery.

The petition further alleged that Farotimi’s book undermined a Supreme Court judgment, disrespected other lawyers, and obstructed justice for personal gain. Emmanuel Chambers requested that Farotimi be struck off the Roll of Legal Practitioners, citing violations of the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners 2023.

However, LPDC Chairman Justice Isaq Usman Bello stated on Tuesday in Abuja that the petition could not be granted due to jurisdictional limits. The committee concluded that the alleged actions occurred in Farotimi’s role as an author, not during his professional legal practice. Therefore, the LPDC ruled that it lacked the jurisdiction to address complaints about published material and advised those with grievances to seek redress through regular courts.

The LPDC’s report, identified as B8B/LPDC/1571/2024, emphasized that intellectual property matters such as published books fall outside the scope of its disciplinary jurisdiction. Any party who feels harmed by the publication was encouraged to pursue legal action in the appropriate courts.