January 27, 2025
By Idris Buba
The defamation case against lawyer and rights activist, Dele Farotimi, may soon be put to rest as the Legal icon and elder statesman, Afe Babalola, has said he is ready to withdraw his criminal defamation suit.
Afe Babalola had petitioned the police commissioner in Ekiti that Farotimi defamed him in a book titled ‘Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System’, the police arrested the activist lawyer and arraigned him before two courts in Ekiti last year.
Farotimi stood trial for alleged criminal defamation before an Ekiti State Magistrate Court, Ado Ekiti District, and as well for alleged cyber-bullying before the Ado Ekiti Division of Federal High Court.
The magistrate court adjourned the case till February 13 and the federal high court till January 29
Afe Babalola’s decision to withdraw his suit is attributed to a Sunday night visit by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi.
The Ooni’s visit to the elder statesman’s residence at Afe Babalola University Ado Ekiti, was to plead with him to withdraw the suit.
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The Ooni, was accompanied to the legal luminary home by other top Yoruba traditional rulers, including the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Ogoga of Ikere-Ekiti, Oloye of Oye-Ekiti, Ajero of Ijero-Ekiti, and Olojudo of Ido-Ekiti, among others.
The nonagenarian, who spoke on the value of Yoruba traditional institution in the country added, “The monarchs are here, they have appealed to me over a criminal charge involving somebody who said I was corrupt.”
The senior advocate said that he felt so bad that Farotimi accused him of winning all his cases through corruption; hence, he rejected all earlier appeals to him to take the cases out of court.
Babalola said he had received several letters as well as calls on the issue from eminent Nigerians asking him to withdraw the suit
They included former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Bishop Hassan Kukah
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria said he had no choice but to succumb to the latest pleas by the visiting traditional rulers.
He stressed that he had nothing to gain from Farotimi being jailed.
The request is simple, take away this criminal case in court. When Obasanjo wrote, he came here, I said no. When Kukah phoned and came, I said no, but on this occasion, I say yes. Thank you Kabiyesis. I will speak to my lawyers to withdraw it.”
The Ooni, who spoke on behalf of Yoruba monarchs, had requested Babalola to withdraw the case in court, assuring him that “nobody can tarnish your name, Yoruba leaders and the traditional institution had been following the development keenly, himself and others resolved to intervene so that Babalola ” can pardon his son, Farotimi.”
He commended the legal icon for building his integrity over the years and urged him not to relent following the development.
