‘Defamation’: Court Grants Human Rights Lawyer Farotimi N50m Bail

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Human rights lawyer and activist, Dele Farotimi, has been granted bail by an Ekiti State magistrates’ court.

He was granted bail in the sum of N50 million, with a surety in like sum.

The court said the surety must own landed property while the matter was adjourned to January 29, 2025, for further proceedings.

“Dele Farotimi was granted bail of N50 million naira surety in the like sum with someone with landed property. The case was adjourned to 29 January 2025,” Omoyele Sowore, the African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, wrote on his X handle on Monday.

Farotimi was remanded last week Monday by the court in Ado Ekiti for allegedly defaming a legal luminary, Aare Afe Babalola, in his recently published book, ‘Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System’.

There has been an outrage over his arrest and subsequent prosecution with legal opinions divided over the actions instigated by Babalola.

Some activists led by Omoyele Sowore, the convener of the Take it Back Movement had declared Tuesday a day of protest to demand freedom for Farotimi.

Also Afe Babalola had justified the action against Farotimi, saying his reputation was maligned in his book.