Activist lawyer, Dele Farotimi remanded in prison, following arrest at his Lagos office

Following the allegation of defamation by Afe Babalola, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and founder of Afe Babalola University Ado Ekiti (ABUAD) and his subsequent arrest, Dele Farotimi, an activist lawyer, was remanded in prison by a Chief Magistrate’s Court in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, on Wednesday.

The police had invaded Mr Farotimi’s office in Lekki, Lagos, arrested him and took him to Ado Ekiti, following Mr Babalola’s petition on Tuesday.

According to the prosecution, Mr Babalola stated in his petition that Mr Farotimi defamed him in his book, ‘Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System’ by alleging that he (Mr Babalola) corrupted the Supreme Court to procure a fraudulent judgment in the service of his clients.

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the 16 counts levelled against him by the police.

The trial chief magistrate, Abayomi Adeosun,
citing that “Enough materials have not been brought to the court to enable me to exercise my discretion,” ordered that the defendant be remanded in the Ado Ekiti correctional centre for him to file a formal bail application.

He thereafter, adjourned the case till Tuesday, 10 December, for the court to hear the bail application.