“I Respect Afe Babalola, But My Legal Battle Isn’t Over” – Farotimi

Human rights activist and lawyer, Dele Farotimi, has made it clear that his legal battle is far from over, despite the withdrawal of criminal charges against him. Speaking on *The Duke Rants* podcast over the weekend, Farotimi acknowledged his respect for legal luminary Chief Afe Babalola but insisted he was still weighing his legal options over his 21-day incarceration.

Asked what he would say if he met Babalola today, he responded: “Like a good Yoruba boy, I’ll give him his salutations. It doesn’t change the fact that I’m still considering my options as regards what to do about what I went through.”

Farotimi described his arrest as an abuse of legal process, emphasizing the irregularities involved. He recounted how law enforcement officers allegedly crossed five state lines—moving from Ekiti to Ondo, to Osun, to Oyo, to Ogun, and then into Lagos—to apprehend him. “Somebody has to explain the basis of my incarceration for 21 days,” he stated.

His legal troubles began when Babalola petitioned the Ekiti State Commissioner of Police, accusing Farotimi of defaming him in his book, *Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System.* He was subsequently arraigned before an Ekiti State Magistrate Court for alleged criminal defamation and also charged with cyber-bullying at the Federal High Court in Ado Ekiti.

Following interventions by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, and other traditional rulers, Babalola announced on January 27 that he was withdrawing his petition. However, Farotimi revealed that, despite this development, he still faced four separate lawsuits filed by members of Babalola’s law office in different states.

“My inability to speak to certain aspects of this issue is borne out of the fact that, despite the discontinuation of the criminal proceeding, I still have four suits that I am aware of, in four different states of the federation, filed by members of the same law office against my person,” he said.

Farotimi strongly defended his book, asserting that it was based on research and personal experience rather than falsehoods. He dismissed suggestions that the controversy was about his personal reputation, instead framing it as a broader issue concerning Nigeria’s legal system. “This is not a trial of Dele Farotimi. Let nobody make that error. It is a trial of the legal system that we have built as a collective,” he declared.

He also clarified that his book was not a personal attack on Babalola or any individual but a critique of systemic corruption within the judiciary. “Chief Afe Babalola is more than old enough to be my father,” he said. “I did not set out to destroy the man or to tarnish his image. Nothing personal. I was writing about the institution of the judiciary.”

Despite the challenges, Farotimi remains resolute, stating that he will continue to pursue justice while defending his right to speak on issues affecting Nigeria’s legal system.