Prominent activist and legal practitioner, Dele Farotimi, has revealed that he continues to grapple with four separate lawsuits filed in different states by members of the Aare Afe Babalola law firm, despite the earlier withdrawal of criminal charges against him. Farotimi made this known during the Toyin Falola Interviews on Sunday, where he discussed the lingering legal challenges stemming from his controversial book, Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System.
The revelation comes weeks after the founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, and legal icon, Aare Afe Babalola (SAN), announced the withdrawal of a defamation petition against Farotimi, citing the intervention of prominent traditional leaders like the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi. The initial charges alleged that Farotimi had defamed Babalola in his book, leading to his arrest and subsequent trial before an Ekiti State Magistrate Court and the Federal High Court in Ado Ekiti for alleged cyber-bullying.
While the criminal proceedings have been discontinued, Farotimi disclosed that civil litigation persists. “Despite the withdrawal of the criminal charges, I still have four lawsuits in four different states filed by members of the same law office,” he stated.
Farotimi defended his book, emphasizing that it was a product of meticulous research rather than idle gossip. “I didn’t write from hearsay or idle talk. I documented my observations of the Nigerian justice system,” he said. He maintained that his work critiques institutional failings rather than individuals, particularly Babalola.
“This is not about me but about the integrity of our legal system,” he asserted. “If anyone finds falsehood in my book, let them challenge me with facts.”
Farotimi condemned the tendency to dismiss his work without reading it, criticizing what he described as an aversion to uncomfortable truths. “Many who criticize me haven’t read the book. We must confront the truth if we genuinely seek reform in our justice system.”
