- Safiu Kehinde
Sequel to the detention of human rights lawyer, Mr. Dele Farotimi, over alleged defamation, Chief Afe Babalola (SAN) has stated condition for the release of the lawyer.
The elder statesman said that Farotimi will be freed until he can prove his allegations against him.
Babalola, who was represented by his lawyers, Owoseni Ajayi, Olakanmi Falade and Lawrence Fasanmi, stated this on Friday at a press conference in the Ekiti State capital city.
The lawyers confirmed the Senior Advocate’s petition to the police to investigate the defamatory allegations made by Farotimi in the book titled, ‘Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System,’.
They said charging the activist to court by the law enforcement agency was for the law to take its due cause on the matter.
The lawyers alleged that the Farotimi was out to tarnish Babalola’s reputation, which he had built following many years of hard work and diligent toil.
According to report, Babalola’s lead lawyer and a former Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General in Ekiti State, Owoseni Ajayi, said that the press conference was to correct the various misleading publications about the ongoing matter between the Nigerian Police and Farotimi over the issue of defaming Babalola.
“All facts are verifiable. I urge Nigerians to verify and find out what the truth is first before picking a side.
“Aare Afe Babalola, in his petition, urged the police to use your good office to invite Mr Dele Farotimi to show proof of the truthfulness of his publication, failing of which he should be prosecuted for criminal defamation in accordance with the requirement of the extant laws of Nigeria.
“Confiscate all defamatory publications until the investigations are completed” and as well “stop Mr Dele Farotimi by himself and/or his agents from further publishing any defamatory contents to attack my hard-earned reputation, the reputation of my law firm and that of my lawyers and of the Nigerian judiciary”. Ajayi said.
Ajayi queried, “Is it wrong for Aare Afe Babalola to seek justice for these false utterances against him? Should justice only be available to Mr Dele Farotimi because Aare Afe Babalola is a global icon?
“Once Mr Dele Farotimi can show proof that his assertions in the book are true, then he will be free. The law allows free speech, but not one that is calculated to injure the good reputation of another”.
He said that the police had done the right thing and needed to be commended for the manner in which the arrest was made and arraignment within 24 hours, adding, “The mode of arraignment was in order.
“Also, the book being distributed and accessed in Ekiti, so long as defamation is a crime in Ekiti, this has established criminal liability within Ekiti, placing it under the investigatory jurisdiction of the police and the jurisdiction of the Ekiti State High court, given the cross-state nature of the alleged crime.” Ajayi added.