A Federal high court sitting in Ado Ekiti on Monday admitted the detained human rights lawyer, Dele Farotimi to N50 million bail with a surety in like sum.
The trial high court judge, Justice Babs Kuewumi which said that the surety must possess a landed property in Ekiti thereafter adjourned the matter to January 29, 2025, for further proceedings.
The court’s decision was disclosed by the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress in the 2023 election, Omoyele Sowore, via his X handle on Monday.
“The first hurdle was crossed. #DeleFarotimi was granted bail of N50 million surety in the like sum with someone with landed property. The case was adjourned to January 29, 2025,” the tweet read.vvvg
In another tweet, Sowore noted that Farotimi’s “farcical trial” would continue tomorrow (Tuesday) at the Magistrate Court in the state capital, “over a non-existent offence in Ekiti law books.”
“We’ve asked the Attorney-General of Ekiti State to discontinue the trial immediately,” Sowore added.
Farotimi was however brought to court handcuffed and followed by a number of policemen.
BAR & BENCH WATCH reports that Farotimi’s trial comes on the heels of his alleged defamation of a renowned Senior Advocate of Nigeria and founder of the Afe Babalola University, Aare Afe Babalola, in his recently published book, titled, ‘Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System.’
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 stated that 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.”
Farotimi was apprehended by officers of the Lagos State Police Command and transported to Ekiti for arraignment.
The arrest sparked outrage across the country, prompting civil society organizations and the Nigerian Bar Association to call for the activist’s release.
Recall that Commissioner of Police in Ekiti State, Adeniran Akinwale, had on December 4, 2024 said that Dele Farotimi was arrested for various alleged offences.
The commissioner said that the offences committed included defamation of character, cyberstalking, and others.
“That was why we have been looking for him before we were able to arrest him.
“We are investigating him. If the suspect is arrested, we will bring him for investigation.
“ We will conduct our investigation and will be able to know his level of culpability or otherwise,” he was further quoted to have said.
Meanwhile, in spite a directive by the Ekiti State Police Command banning unlawful gatherings, demonstrations, among others across the state, citing concerns over public safety and security threats, the Take It Back Movement has vowed to go ahead with its planned protests in Ekiti, Lagos, Abuja, London and Canada following Farotimi’s detention.
The movement’s National Coordinator, Juwon Sanyaolu, insisted that the police lacked a legal basis to ban peaceful protests.
“The position of the TIB is the same and our action will go on as planned despite the police’s threats.
“The lawlessness of the Nigeria Police must not be allowed to go unchecked even though we are aware it is their trademark.
“The police cannot proscribe peaceful protest, that in itself is illegal. We are peacefully challenging in the public space the thuggery of the police officers, under the command of the Ekiti CP, who came all the way from Ekiti to abduct Farotimi in Lagos and assault his staff,” among others.
However, Babalola’s lawyers have assured that Farotimi would regain his freedom only if he’s able to prove his allegations against the elder statesman.
