A Federal High Court in Ekiti has granted Dele Farotimi, a human rights activist and lawyer, N50 million bail with one surety, following his arraignment on a 12-count charge bordering on cybercrime.
Farotimi is facing fresh charges filed by the Inspector-General of Police, alleging that he spread false information against Chief Afe Babalola (SAN) during an online interview, specifically on Seun Okinbaloye’s podcast.
Persecondnews reported that Farotimi is still facing charges of defamation before an Ado Ekiti Magistrate’s Court which has adjourned hearing of bail application until Tuesday, December 10.
According to a petition dated November 19, 2024, and addressed to the Ekiti State Commissioner of Police, Adeniran Akinwale, Babalola detailed how his law firm discovered Farotimi’s book, adding that the accusation stems from a Supreme Court judgment involving a land dispute that spanned over two decades.
Babalola said the book accused him of “corrupting the Supreme Court from ages past and had led it to commit the most egregious acts of evil and wanting injustice.”
In the foreword of his book, Farotimi made 10 allegations, accusing Babalola, his law firm, and other legal professionals of corruption and malpractice.
His book makes several accusations, including that Afe Babalola “corrupted the Supreme Court to procure fraudulent judgments for his clients.”
“The law firm of S.B. Joseph & Co. doctored the Supreme Court’s original judgment to obtain an execution warrant. Justice Atilade unlawfully issued and later quashed the fraudulent warrant.
“Babalola and his associates compromised the judiciary, tarnishing its integrity. The Nigerian justice system is fundamentally criminal and complicit, incapable of upholding true justice.”
He was arrested in Lagos last Tuesday by officers from the Ekiti State Police Command and taken to Ekiti for trial.
During the bail hearing on Monday, Justice Babs Olaniyi Kuewu, stipulated that the surety must provide evidence of two years’ tax clearance and a letter of consent from their bank.
The trial was adjourned until January 29, 2025.
One of the charges reads: “That you, Dele Farotimi ‘m’, on 28th August 2024, knowingly and intentionally transmitted communication in an online interview on Mic On Podcast by Seun Okinbaloye on your YouTube Channel (http://youtube.com/watch?v=4USuxB…) in respect of a book authored and published by you titled: Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System, wherein you stated in the interview that: ‘Aare Afe Babalola corrupted the judiciary,’ which you know to be false information for the purpose of causing the breakdown of law and order, thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 24(1)(b) of Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act 2015 as amended.”
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