Osamagbe Imadiyi
Lawyer and activist Dele Farotimi claims that he is still being sued in four different states by attorneys from the Aare Afe Babalola law firm. This was revealed by Farotimi during the Toyin Falola Interviews on Sunday, February 16, 2025. Recall that Aare Afe Babalola (SAN), the founder of Afe Babalola University in Ado Ekiti, recently retracted his defamation lawsuit against the activist. Following Babalola’s petition to the Ekiti State police commissioner, alleging the activist had defamed him in his book “Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System,” trouble began for Farotimi.
Consequently, Farotimi was taken into custody by the police and charged in two Ekiti courts. However, Babalola retracted the case against the activist lawyer following the intervention of prominent traditional leaders, including Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, the Ooni of Ife. Babalola reportedly dropped the criminal charges against him, but according to Farotimi, he is still being sued in four different states by members of Babalola’s legal team.
“The reason I am unable to address some aspects of this issue is because, even though the criminal proceeding has been terminated, I am still aware of four suits against my person in four different states of the federation that were filed by members of the same law office,” he stated.
According to Farotimi, the debate over his book is not founded on light conversation or the essence of beer chitchat. He went on to say that it is a thoroughly researched work that details his observations and experiences with the Nigerian legal system. The Nigerian legal system itself, he continued, is on trial, not his reputation.
