Dele Farotimi’s Legal Woes Multiply: Two Lawsuits Loom After Afe Babalola’s Case Withdrawal

There is growing concern among Nigerians regarding the status of multiple lawsuits against lawyer and rights activist Dele Farotimi, following the recent withdrawal of legal actions by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Afe Babalola.

Despite Babalola’s decision to drop his case, Farotimi is still entangled in numerous legal battles, particularly after the police charged him with 12 counts of cybercrime and 16 counts of criminal defamation based on Babalola’s earlier petition. Additionally, other lawyers have filed lawsuits against Farotimi, collectively seeking damages exceeding N1 billion.

On December 6, 2024, Kehinde Ogunwumiju, Managing Partner at Afe Babalola & Co, initiated legal action against Farotimi, accusing him of defamation over content in his book Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System. Ogunwumiju demanded N500 million in damages and requested that the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja halt the distribution of the book, both online and in physical stores. He also sought an order for the seizure of all copies and insisted that Farotimi issue a public apology in two national newspapers.

Just days later, on December 11, 2024, another lawyer from Babalola’s firm, Ola Faro, filed a separate defamation lawsuit at the Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt, claiming that Farotimi had falsely accused him, Babalola, and the law firm of undermining the integrity of the Supreme Court. Faro denied the claims and argued that the statements were intended to tarnish his reputation. He is seeking N500 million in damages for defamation, along with an additional N100 million for the book’s distribution.

Meanwhile, following mediation efforts by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, and other traditional rulers, police prosecutor Samson Osobu applied last Wednesday to withdraw the cybercrime charges during a hearing at the Federal High Court in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State. However, the separate criminal case against Farotimi, filed by the police at a chief magistrate’s court in Ado-Ekiti, is still active, with a hearing scheduled for February 13, 2025.