Human Rights Lawyer, Dele Farotimi’s book on Nigerian lawyer, Afe Babalola (SAN) has been ranked as the number one best seller worldwide on Amazon in global politics.
The book titled “Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System” was published in July 2024, which gained little attention until the author’s arrest on Thursday.
NPO reports that the activist was arrested in Lagos on Thursday following a petition by Babalola after which he was then taken to Ado Ekiti.
Babalola is well known for his wide influence in Ekiti State.
Bookstores across Nigeria are seeing a significant spike in demand, with many reporting that their stock of the book has sold out.
Stores such as Tinu-Ade Bookshop in Ibadan and VIC Bookstore in Abuja have confirmed they are unable to meet the overwhelming demand for copies, as Nigerians flock to read the book amid the legal controversy.
In the book, he named the senior lawyer as one of the leading corrupt offenders in the Nigerian judiciary, accusing him of undermining the country’s justice system by influencing court decisions through bribes and backdoor dealings.
Mr Babalola “compromised the Supreme Court and the remaining semblance of integrity it might have had,” Mr Farotimi cited a case in which the nonagenarian lawyer approached “the Supreme Court and got that court to swim in the sewer of corruption and shameful self-abnegation.”
According to the police, the book“was likely to cause fear and alarm to the public or disturb the public peace.”
NPO reports that Farotimi’s detention had gathered nationwide outrage as many Nigerians, organizations, lawyers demanded his release, condemning and criticizing the move by Babalola as oppression.
Farotimi was remanded in custody pending a bail hearing on December 10.