- Human Rights Lawyer Denies Defamation Allegations
- Vows to Continue Speaking Truth to Power
Prominent human rights advocate and author, Dele Farotimi, has regained his freedom after meeting stringent bail conditions set by an Ekiti State magistrate court. His release from the state correctional facility took place on Tuesday morning.
Last Friday, the magistrate court in Ado-Ekiti granted bail with conditions including a ₦30 million bond, two guarantors (one of whom must own property), the submission of his international passport, and a prohibition against granting media interviews.
Speaking shortly after his release, Farotimi expressed unwavering confidence in his integrity and commitment to truth. “I have never lied against anyone in my life. If I do not know something, I simply say I don’t know. The truth remains the only weapon capable of dismantling the corrupt structures we live under in Nigeria,” he declared.
Farotimi’s legal troubles began after the July release of his book, Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System, a critical examination of the nation’s judiciary. In December, renowned Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Aare Afe Babalola, accused Farotimi of defamation, alleging that the author implicated him and other SANs in corrupt practices involving Supreme Court justices.
On December 3, Farotimi was arrested in a dramatic fashion at his Lagos office by police officers from the Ekiti State Command and subsequently transferred to Ekiti State. In addition to the defamation charges filed by Babalola’s legal team at the magistrate court, the Inspector General of Police brought 12 additional charges, including cyberbullying, against Farotimi at the Federal High Court in Ekiti on December 6.
Despite the mounting legal challenges, Farotimi remains resolute in his advocacy for justice and transparency, reiterating his belief in the transformative power of truth.
