Afe Babalola: Ekiti Court Dismisses Defamation Suit Against Dele Farotimi

• As Senior Lawyer backs down

The Ekiti State Chief Magistrates Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti has struck out the defamation suit filed against human rights lawyer and activist, Dele Farotimi by the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).

This decision follows the application and motion by the Police prosecutor, Martins Akala, for withdrawal of the suit from court.

Akala is the officer in charge of Legal at the Ekiti State Police Command’s Criminal Investigation Department.

The Police had dragged Farotimi before the Ekiti Magistrate Court on 4th December 2024, on allegations of defaming legal luminary Afe Babalola in his book, titled; ‘Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System’.

In the controversial book, Farotimi had alleged that Afe Babalola corrupted the Supreme Court justices among others.

After the initial setbacks, the defendant was granted bail by the Court on 20th December 2024, while adjourning the matter till 13th February 2025 for a hearing.

However, following the intervention of prominent traditional rulers led by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Afe Babalola had on January 27, 2025, agreed to withdraw the criminal defamation cases against Farotimi from the court.

When the matter came up on Thursday, the Police prosecutor, Akala informed the Court that in line with directives from the authorities, the defamation suit against Farotimi should be withdrawn.

According to him; “This matter is slated for hearing today. But I want to seek leave of the court to withdraw the charge against the defendant on the instruction of the police authorities.”

In his submission, Lead counsel for the defendant, Kembi Adejare, said that he had no objection to the application.

Delivering a brief ruling on the matter, the Chief Magistrate, Abayomi Adeosun, citing the decisions of the prosecuting team, struck out the case saying; “Based on the written and oral applications by the prosecution for the withdrawal of the case and the fact that the defendant did not have any objection, the charge is hereby struck out. That is the end of the case”.

Farotimi’s Counsel, Adejare, while reacting to the court’s ruling, said, “The case was struck out based on the application of the prosecution. We welcomed it, they brought us here and they asked us to go.

“In the open court, I said they had just removed the chains, they brought the chains; they removed the chains. Why should we complain?”

Recalled also that the Federal High Court, Ado Ekiti Division, had on January 29, 2025, struck out charges brought by the Police against Farotimi bordering on cyberbullying and defamation following the Police application to withdraw the charge.