Dele Farotimi, a human rights advocate, faces 12 cybercrime charges after alleging that Afe Babalola, a senior advocate, "corrupted the judiciary." Arrested by the Ekiti state police, Farotimi was arraigned on defamation charges, with a court hearing scheduled. His legal team calls for verification of the truth in his statements.
The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has filed fresh charges against human rights advocate Dele Farotimi, accusing him of cybercrime-related offenses. The 12-count charge, presented before a federal high court in Ado-Ekiti, centers on a 2024 online interview in which Farotimi allegedly spread false information about senior advocate Afe Babalola. The interview aired on the Mic On Podcast hosted by Seun Okinbaloye, featured Farotimi discussing his book titled "Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System." In it, Farotimi claimed that Babalola had "corrupted the judiciary," which police argue was a deliberate attempt to provoke public disorder.
Farotimi was arrested by officers from the Ekiti state police command on Tuesday in Lagos, following a petition by Babalola accusing him of defamation and cyberbullying. The arrest led to Farotimi being arraigned at the Ekiti magistrate court on a 16-count defamation charge, with the court remanding him in prison custody until his bail hearing on December 10.
Babalola’s legal team, including prominent lawyers Owoseni Ajayi, Olakanmi Falade, and Lawrence Fasanmi, have stated that the charges are necessary for justice to take its course. They emphasize that Farotimi must prove the truth of his allegations to defend himself successfully. According to Ajayi, Babalola has the right to seek legal redress against false statements, especially those that harm his reputation, and the law allows free speech but not defamatory statements.
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