The Chief Magistrate Court, sitting in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State capital, has granted bail to the human rights lawyer and activist, Dele Farotimi, in the alleged defamation suit against him by the police.
Farotimi was arrested on December 3, 2024, in Lagos by operatives of the Ekiti State police command over allegations of defamation against him.
He was accused in a 14-count charge of defaming a renowned lawyer and founder of Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Aare Afe Babalola, SAN, in his book titled, ‘Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System,’ where he alleged that Babalola corrupted the Supreme Court to procure a fraudulent judgment in the service of his clients.
In the last two court sessions on December 4 and 10, the court could not grant the defendant bail and remanded him in prison after opposition by the prosecuting counsel, Samson Osobu, who alluded that Farotimi is a flight risk if granted bail.
During the proceeding on Friday, the Chief Magistrate, Abayomi Adeosun, while granting the bail application by the defence counsel, said the offence of defamation preferred against Farotimi is bailable despite taking note of the issues raised by the prosecuting counsel.
He ordered that Farotimi must provide a N30 million bond with two sureties who are responsible citizens of the country, with one of them a house owner in Ado-Ekiti.
The court also barred Farotimi from granting media interviews or making comments on the issue pending the determination of the substantive suit in the court, and that he should submit his international passport.
The head of the defence counsel, Adejare Kembi, informed the court that the defendant’s international passport has been dropped at the Federal High Court earlier as part of his bail conditions on a different suit on alleged cybercrime against him.
The magistrate ruled that the defence team should provide a written document from the registrar of the Federal High Court confirming the receipt of the passport.
Post comments (0)