Court strikes out Police’s defamation suit against Farotimi

Chief Magistrate Abayomi Adeosun of the Ekiti State Chief Magistrates’ Court, Ado Ekiti, has struck out the defamation suit filed against human rights activist and lawyer Dele Farotimi by the Police on Thursday.

The decision came after prosecutor Martins Akala, an officer in charge of Legal at the State Police Command’s Criminal Investigation Department, filed an application and motion to withdraw the suit from court.

Persecondnews recalls that the Police had charged Farotimi before the Magistrate’s Court on December 4, 2024 for allegedly defaming Chief Afe Babalola(SAN) in his book, titled, ‘Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System’.

Farotimi alleged in his book that Babalola corrupted the Supreme Court to procure a fraudulent judgment, among other serious claims.

The court granted Farotimi bail on December 20, 2024, and adjourned the case until February 13 for a hearing.

However, following the intervention of some Yoruba traditional rulers, led by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, the nonagenarian legal icon agreed to withdraw the criminal defamation cases against Farotimi.

This decision was reached at a midnight meeting on January 27, 2025 at the Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti

When the case resumed on Thursday, Akala said: “This case is slated for hearing today. But I want to seek leave of the court to withdraw the charge against the defendant on the instruction of the police authorities.”

Mr. Kembi Adejare, lead counsel for the defendant, indicated that he had no objections to the prosecutor’s application.

Before striking out the case in a brief ruling, Chief Magistrate Abayomi Adeosun said: “Based on the written and oral applications by the prosecution for the withdrawal of the case and the fact that the defendant did not have any objection, the charge is hereby struck out. That is the end of the case”.

In an interview with journalists after the ruling, Adejare said: “The case was struck out based on the application of the prosecution. We welcome it, they brought us here and they asked us to go.

“In the open court, I said they had just removed the chains, they brought the chains, they removed the chains. Why should we complain?”

Persecondnews had reported that a Federal High Court, Ado Ekiti Division, had on January 29, 2025, struck out charges brought by the Police against Farotimi bordering on cyberbullying and defamation following the police application to withdraw the charge.