A Federal High Court in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, has granted lawyer and human rights activist Dele Farotimi bail of N50 million. The court also required a surety with landed property. This update was shared by Omoyele Sowore, the African Action Congress presidential candidate in the 2023 election. The case has been adjourned until January 29, 2025.

Farotimi’s legal troubles began with allegations of defamation against Aare Afe Babalola, a prominent lawyer and founder of Afe Babalola University. The accusations are linked to Farotimi’s book, Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System. In the book, he allegedly accused Babalola of influencing the Supreme Court in a two-decade-long land dispute.

Following a petition by Babalola, Farotimi was arrested by Lagos police and transferred to Ekiti, where he was arraigned on December 7, 2024, and remanded in prison on 16 counts of criminal defamation.

Farotimi’s arrest and trial have drawn criticism, with activists and groups like the Take It Back (TIB) Movement planning protests in Nigeria and abroad. The TIB has condemned the actions of the police, accusing them of unlawful detention and trying to suppress peaceful assembly.

According to Juwon Sanyaolu, TIB’s National Coordinator, “The Nigeria Police cannot ban peaceful protests, and their actions must be challenged.” Protests are planned in Ekiti, Lagos, Abuja, London, and Canada despite warnings from the police about security concerns.

Farotimi’s legal team will need to defend the claims made in his book as the trial progresses. Meanwhile, public protests and calls for justice are putting a spotlight on the broader issues of police misconduct and the state of Nigeria’s judicial system.