Court Grants Dele Farotimi N30m Bail, Restricts Him From Speaking To Media

Nigerian activist and lawyer, Dele Farotimi has been granted bail of N30 million on Friday by a Magistrate Court in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State.

Dele Farotimi had been arraigned on allegations of defaming Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Afe Babalola.

In addition to the bail amount, the court imposed several conditions, including the provision of three sureties with landed property within the court’s jurisdiction, submission of his international passport, and a prohibition on granting media interviews.

Magistrate Abayomi Adeosun adjourned the case to February 13, 2025.

Farotimi, who pleaded not guilty to a 14-count charge of defamation during his initial arraignment, was previously denied bail and ordered to remain in custody.

The charges stem from claims made in his book, “Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System”.

During Friday’s proceedings, the police prosecutor, Samson Osobu, argued that a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) could not represent a defendant in a Magistrate Court, citing a July 16 ruling from the Court of Appeal in Ibadan.

However, defense counsel Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika SAN countered that Ekiti State’s Magistrate Court laws allow all lawyers, regardless of rank, to appear in criminal matters.

Magistrate Adeosun deferred his ruling on the matter to review the cited judgment.

In the meantime, he directed that the Senior Advocate step down and that the most senior lawyer on Farotimi’s legal team continue the case.

Lawyer Taiwo Adedeji subsequently assumed representation for Farotimi.

Dele Farotimi had also been granted bail in a separate case involving cyberbullying and defamation, brought before a Federal High Court in Ado Ekiti.

In that case, bail was set at N50 million with a surety required in the same amount.

KanyiDaily recalls that Afe Babalola’s law firm also submitted a petition to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC), urging it to remove Dele Farotimi from the list of licensed lawyers in Nigeria.