Two courts, one in Abuja and the other in Oyo State, have issued orders preventing human rights activist and lawyer, Dele Farotimi, from distributing or selling his controversial book, Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System.
On Wednesday, a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja barred Farotimi from publishing, selling, circulating, advertising, or distributing both hard and soft copies of the book. Similarly, an Oyo State High Court granted an interim order to stop Farotimi, or anyone acting on his behalf, from printing additional copies of the book.
Farotimi is currently facing legal challenges due to allegations in the book. The police have arraigned him in the Federal High Court in Ekiti State and the Magistrates’ Court in Ado-Ekiti, over charges of defamation and cyberbullying. The charges stem from a petition filed by prominent lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Aare Afe Babalola, who claims that Farotimi defamed him by accusing him and other SANs of influencing Supreme Court Justices.
Following his arraignment, Farotimi has been remanded in prison.
In the Abuja case, Justice Peter Kekemeke granted an ex parte application filed by Kehinde Ogunwumiju (SAN), Managing Partner at Afe Babalola’s law firm. The judge ordered:
• The prohibition of any further publication, sale, or distribution of the book in physical or digital form, including online and on social media.
• The seizure of all existing copies of the book by the Nigeria Police Force, the State Security Service (SSS), the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and other security agencies.
The order will remain in place until the hearing of the Motion on Notice for an interlocutory injunction on December 6, 2024. Security agencies were also directed to submit an affidavit confirming compliance within 72 hours.
In Oyo State, Justice Mufutau Adegbola issued a similar restraining order based on an ex parte application by Adebayo Adenipekun (SAN) on behalf of Afe Babalola’s firm. The hearing for this case is set for January 7, 2025.
Farotimi was arrested on December 2 by the Nigerian Police, drawing public criticism over the nature of his arrest. He was taken from Lagos to Ekiti State, where he appeared before a magistrate’s court on December 4. The Chief Magistrates’ Court in Ado-Ekiti ordered his remand in a correctional facility pending further proceedings.
Farotimi was arraigned over alleged defamation of character following the allegation in his book that a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Afe Babalola, had compromised the Supreme Court.
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