The Federal High Court, sitting in Ado Ekiti, yesterday granted bail to the human rights lawyer, Mr. Dele Farotimi.
Farotimi, who was arrested in Lagos and ordered to be remanded in correctional facility by an Ekiti Magistrate Court last week, was granted bail during the court hearing on defamation case on Monday .
This came as a group, Justice For Afe Babalola Legacy (JABL) has demanded justice for the legal Icon, Aare Afe Babalola in the defamation case against Mr Dele Farotimi.
Addressing journalists in Ado Ekiti, the publicity secretary of the group, Mr Rotimi Opeyeoluwa said demand became necessary as the industry, character and integrity of the elder statesman has been maligned
The activist was granted N50 million bail with a surety in the like sum, who must provide landed property as collateral.
Addressing newsmen, after the hearing, a member of the defence team, Ayodele Ademiluyi, said Farotimi was served an amended charge in which 12 count charges bordering majorly on disseminating online information that can cause breakdown if law and order.
Ademiluyi said, “Upon the charge being read to him, he pleaded not guilty. Prof. Sylvester Emiri (SAN) who led the defence team, alongside Mr. Raph Nwoke and myself gave a very eloquent application for his bail based on the fact that he is a legal practitioner with a well-known practice address.
“The prosecution led by Mr Samson Osobu opposed the application vehemently, but despite the vehement opposition, he was granted bail.
“One surety with N50 million in like sum, one built property in Ekiti State, the surety must be resident in Ekiti State, must have paid all the taxes, his international passport to be deposited with the court and then four passport photographs both of the surety and of the defendants”.
He, however, said that the defence team is working hard to meet all the bail conditions for Mr. Farotimi to be free.
“We are having another day in court tomorrow before the Magistrate Court. The quest for justice continues.
Justice Babs Kuewumi who presided over the matter adjourned the case till January 29 , 2025 .
The group’s spokesman said, “We are demanding justice for Aare Afe Babalola, a man who has painstakingly built a reputation of over 61 years at the bar is being assaulted, so we want the facts to be out.
“Let the public know that this is not the case of David and Goliath, but it is to set the record straight. Most of this rubbish may still be there in the next fifty years but we want to correct this. We don’t want a situation whereby our icon character will be stained and it will remain so. Our fight and demand is civil, let Dele Farotimi produce evidence of Aare Afe Babalola corrupting the Supreme Court justices as well Federal High Court in Lagos.
“We shall fight to the end through the instrumentality of the law. Let him come forward based on what he wrote and produce the evidence. We want to set the record straight about Afe Babalola and the due process is being followed in the matter”.
Also speaking, the head of Afe Babalola’s family and Ilotin of Ado Ekiti, Chief Michael Osaloni said the issue doesn’t affect Aare Afe Babalola alone but his law firm, the lawyers there and his family of which he is one of them .
On the planned protest against the arrest of Farotimi by some group, to be staged in Ado Ekiti on Tuesday, the traditional Chief Osaloni who said they are waiting for the protesters expressed disappointed at the position of some Ekiti people on the matter
He warned those planning the protest to steer clear of Ekiti and shelve it in their own interest shelve or else face the consequences
“We will not hesitate to meet them energy with energy in fact we are ready for them, let them come the police will only be doing them a favour if they are prevented”
For his part in the planned protest, Opeyeoluwa said, “We believe Nigeria is not a banana Republic and there will be no breach of law and order. We believe that whatever needs to be done to preserve the sanctity of the Nigerian state will be done, so we are unperturbed.
“The police have said that they are not expecting any protest to be held in Ekiti state to that effect and heard that they are planning to protest in Ibadan, Lagos and Abuja. It is beyond us, we are already in court and we will stick to the court and we will get justice at the end of the day. We are not looking for anything beyond the law. Anything about Aare Babalola is on the legal side”.
