DEFAMATION: Afe Babalola gives conditions for truce with Farotimi
In the ongoing legal dispute between Afe Babalola, a prominent Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), and Dele Farotimi, a Lagos lawyer, specific conditions have been outlined for a potential resolution.
The conflict arises from allegations of criminal defamation made by Babalola against Farotimi, stemming from statements in Farotimi’s book titled Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System.
Farotimi has been charged with criminal defamation and cybercrime, following a petition filed by Babalola. He has been remanded in custody at the Ado Ekiti Correctional Center since his arrest.
The case is being heard in both a Magistrate’s court and the Federal High Court in Ado Ekiti.
During discussions involving notable figures such as Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in 2023, Babalola reportedly set forth specific conditions for a truce. These conditions include Farotimi must retract his not guilty plea regarding the charges against him.
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Following the retraction, he is required to publish a rebuttal to his allegations against Babalola in major newspapers.
These steps are seen as necessary for resolving the matter amicably and potentially securing Farotimi’s release from custody.
Babalola’s legal team has indicated that Farotimi will only be released if he can substantiate his claims against Babalola or plead guilty to the charges.
Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election Peter Obi, accompanied by the Southwest Coordinator of his campaign in that election, Mr. Sola Ebiseni, visited Chief Babalola in Ado-Ekiti on Monday over Farotimi’s ordeal. The duo also visited Farotimi where he is kept in Ado-Ekiti prison.
Sources said yesterday that during the two-hour meeting between Obi and Chief Babalola, the legal giant reportedly gave the conditions.
It was gathered that before Obi’s visit, former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese Matthew Hassan Kukah had reached out to Chief Babalola on the issue.
Farotimi was one of the spokesmen of the Obi/Datti Presidential Campaign Organisation in 2023.
Farotimi will remain in prison custody till December 20 when Magistrate Adeosun will rule on his bail application.
