How Dele Farotimi Damaged My Reputation – Afe Babalola

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How Dele Farotimi Damaged My Reputation – Afe BabalolaAare Afe Babalola, a prominent Senior Advocate of Nigeria and founder of Afe Babalola University, has accused lawyer and activist Dele Farotimi of defaming him in his recently published book, Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System. The allegations relate to a long-standing legal case involving a land dispute that reached the Supreme Court, and Babalola’s law firm’s involvement in securing a favorable ruling for his client.

In a petition submitted to the Ekiti State Commissioner of Police, Adeniran Akinwale, Babalola claimed that Farotimi’s book contained defamatory content that questioned his professional integrity and that of his law firm, Afe Babalola & Co. The book, according to Babalola, falsely accused him and his legal team of corrupting the judiciary, specifically the Supreme Court, in order to secure a fraudulent judgment.

Babalola explained that his law firm was made aware of the defamatory claims after one of his lawyers purchased the book at Murtala Muhammed Airport and brought it to his attention. Several other colleagues also read the book, and the allegations against Babalola and his team were widely discussed.

In his petition, Babalola detailed specific defamatory statements made in the book, which included accusations that he “corrupted the Supreme Court” and caused the court to engage in “fraudulent and unethical practices.” The book also accused Babalola’s law firm of compromising the integrity of the judiciary to secure a ruling in favor of their client in a 2013 case involving a 254-hectare land dispute in Lagos.

The case centered around land initially acquired by the Lagos State Government but later contested by the Ojomu family, who had sold it to Babalola’s client, the Gbadamosi Eletu family, decades earlier. The Supreme Court ultimately ruled in favor of Babalola’s client, but the judgment faced backlash from other estates affected by the ruling, including Pinnock Estate and NICON Estate, among others.

Babalola also claimed that Farotimi, as counsel to one of the affected estates, criticized the ruling in his book and continued to publicly tarnish his reputation, despite the Supreme Court’s decision. The defamatory statements were reportedly broadcasted in interviews and circulated on social media, further damaging Babalola’s professional standing.

In response to the allegations, Babalola has called for an urgent investigation into Farotimi’s actions and demanded the recall and cessation of the book’s distribution. He emphasized that the claims were false and an attempt to discredit his reputation built over six decades of legal practice. The legal giant also sought to halt the further dissemination of the book and its damaging content.

Following the petition, Dele Farotimi was arrested and remanded in Ado-Ekiti, facing charges of criminal defamation. Babalola has requested that authorities thoroughly investigate Farotimi’s statements, which he considers an attack on both his personal integrity and the legal profession at large.

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