Nigerian lawyer and activist Dele Farotimi has been released from a correctional facility in Ekiti State after meeting the 30-million-naira bail conditions imposed by the Chief Magistrate’s Court in Ado Ekiti. Farotimi faces charges of criminal defamation and cybercrime, stemming from his book Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System. The book accuses senior lawyer and Afe Babalola University founder, Afe Babalola, of corrupting the Nigerian Supreme Court to benefit his clients.
Farotimi’s arrest followed a petition by Babalola. He was detained in Lagos and transported to Ado Ekiti earlier in December. The police subsequently arraigned him on 16 counts of criminal defamation at the Magistrate’s Court and 12 counts of cybercrime at the Federal High Court in Ado Ekiti.
Despite the legal challenges, the controversy surrounding the book significantly boosted its sales, with it quickly becoming a bestseller on Amazon. Farotimi’s case has sparked debates on freedom of expression, the legal system, and defamation laws in Nigeria.
