Dele Farotimi will rotten in jail if he fail to tender a public apology for defamation – Afe Babalola.

By Divine Sam

Afe Babalola, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), has accused Dele Farotimi, a human rights lawyer, of defamation following a land dispute case. Farotimi allegedly made false claims in his book, Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System, where he accused Babalola of corrupting the Supreme Court to secure a fraudulent judgment for his clients. This came after Farotimi’s failure to secure a favorable outcome for his client in the case.

Babalola expressed his concern over the public’s reaction to Farotimi’s claims and urged Farotimi to express remorse or face legal action. Farotimi was arrested and remanded in custody for defamation. Babalola’s legal team, which includes former Nigerian Bar Association chairmen, emphasized that as a lawyer, Farotimi should have been aware of the serious consequences of such accusations against Babalola and the judiciary.

The land dispute itself involved a transaction between the Ojomu family and the late Gbadamosi Bamidele Eletu in 1977, with a subsequent legal battle over the land’s title, which was later recognized by the Supreme Court in favor of the Eletu family. Farotimi had been one of the lawyers involved in the case, and his book allegedly misrepresented facts about the judgment and Babalola’s role in the matter. Babalola’s team argues that Farotimi’s claims violate the Criminal Code Act, which prohibits the publication of false news with intent to cause alarm.