- Safiu Kehinde
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court has granted an order of interim injunction, stopping further publication and sales of Dele Farotimi’s book amid ongoing defamation lawsuit against him.
Justice Peter Kekemeke granted the order after listening to the exparte application filed by the claimant, the managing partner at Afe Babalola’s law firm, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Kehinde Ogunwumiju, restraining Farotimi whether acting by himself or his representatives, from further publishing, selling, circulating, advertising, or distributing the physical/hard/digital or soft copies of the book: “Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System”.
The judge further restrained temporarily the agents, publishers, distributors, sellers, re-publishers, re-sellers, or any other person howsoever described, including Dele Farotimi Publishers, Amazon Online Bookstore, Rovingheights Bookstore, Booksellers Bookstore, Jazzhole Lagos Bookstore, Glendora Bookshop, Quintessence Lagos Bookstore and Patabah Books Limited from further publishing, selling, circulating, advertising, or distributing the physical/hard/digital/soft copies of the book online, electronically, physically or by any other means including social media.
According to reports, the court’s order was granted pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction dated and filed on the 6th day of December 2024.
Recall that Afe Babalola had, through Ogunwumiju, ordered the seizure of all printed copies of the book.
This was also granted by the court, directing the seizure of all physical copies of the book authored by the Defendant titled: “Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System”, wherever they may be found, including at Dele Farotimi Publishers, Rovingheights Bookstore, Booksellers Bookstore, Jazzhole Lagos Bookstore, Glendora Bookshop, Quintessence Lagos Bookstore and Patabah Books Limited worldwide by the Nigerian Police Force, State Security Service, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corp and all other security agencies pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction dated and filed on the 6th day of December 2024.”
The Court further ordered that the relevant security agencies mentioned in the second relief should file an affidavit demonstrating that they have complied with the orders of the Court within 72 hours of their receipt of the order of Court.
In the same vein, an Oyo State High Court also granted an interim order restraining Farotimi or any person acting through him from further printing of the book
The interim order was granted by Justice Mufutau Adegbola at the instance of a senior partner in the law firm of Afe Babalola, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Adebayo Adenipekun who approached the court today via an exparte application dated Dec. 9th on behalf of the firm.
After listening to the senior advocate, Justice Adegbola granted the order in the interim and directed that the other side be put on notice.
The motion on notice for interlocutory injunction was then adjourned to January 7, 2025.