Activist and lawyer Dele Farotimi has stated that despite the withdrawal of criminal charges against him, he is still weighing his legal options after spending 21 days in detention.
Speaking on a podcast recently, Farotimi noted that “Like a good Yoruba boy, he give him his respect,”. But that doesn’t change the fact that he’s still considering his options regarding what he went through.”
When pressed on what options he was exploring, he responded, “All the legal avenues available to someone who was unlawfully taken from his office and dragged before a magistrate for a crime that did not exist.”
Farotimi described the irregularities surrounding his arrest, emphasizing that standard legal procedures were violated.
“Policemen crossed five state lines, entered a sixth—from Ekiti to Ondo, to Osun, to Oyo, to Ogun, and then into Lagos. Someone has to explain the legal basis for my incarceration for 21 days,” he stated.
Although Chief Afe Babalola withdrew his petition against Farotimi in February, he still faces four separate lawsuits filed by members of Babalola’s law firm across different states.
“My inability to speak on certain aspects of this issue is because, despite the discontinuation of the criminal proceeding, I still have four lawsuits that I am aware of, in four different states, filed by members of the same law office,” he revealed.
Farotimi’s legal battle began after Babalola petitioned the Ekiti State Commissioner of Police, accusing him of defamation over statements in his book, Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System. Following his arrest, he was arraigned before an Ekiti State Magistrate Court for alleged criminal defamation and later before the Federal High Court in Ado Ekiti for alleged cyber-bullying.
On January 27, Babalola announced his decision to withdraw the cases after interventions from the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, and other traditional rulers. However, Farotimi’s legal challenges continue.
Farotimi remains firm in his defense of his book, insisting that it was based on research and lived experience rather than falsehoods.
“I didn’t sit in a beer parlour or an officers’ mess gossiping. It wasn’t idle talk. I wrote a book,” he said. “If anyone believes I’ve lied, let them read it and challenge me with facts.”
He also pushed back against the notion that his legal troubles were a personal attack on him, arguing that the real issue at stake was the state of Nigeria’s legal system.
“This is not a trial of Dele Farotimi,” he said. “Let no one make that mistake. This is a trial of the legal system we have collectively built.”
While he acknowledged that Chief Afe Babalola was a respected elder, he maintained that his book was not about individuals but about exposing systemic corruption in the judiciary.
“Chief Afe Babalola is old enough to be my father,” Farotimi said. “I did not set out to destroy the man or tarnish his image. This is nothing personal. My focus is on the judiciary as institution.”
As Farotimi continues to navigate his legal Reasons battles, his case has sparked broader conversations about justice, accountability, and the challenges of confronting institutional power in Nigeria.
