- Safiu Kehinde
Human Rights lawyer, Dele Farotimi, was on Wednesday prosecuted by a Magistrate Court sitting at Ado-Ekiti over alleged defamation of elder statesman, Chief Afe Babalola.
The lawyer, who was arrested at his Lagos office yesterday, had his bail application denied and remanded by the presiding judge of the brief hearing.
While details of his arraignment were initially sketchy as at the time of his prosecution, a leaked charge sheet of the hearing revealed that the lawyer was placed on a 16-count charge.
As shared on X by human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, the 16-count charge against Farotimi all bordered on alleged defamation of Chief Afe Babalola which was traced to his publication titled ‘Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System’.
The book titled had seen Farotimi stepped on toes of eminent Nigerians including the United Bank of Africa’s (UBA) CEO, Tony Elumelu, who had also written petition against the lawyer on defamation of character.
Meanwhile, the 16-count charge against the lawyer, as obtained from the Magistrate Court, is contained in the charge sheets below.
