An Ekiti State Chief Magistrates Court in Ado Ekiti on Wednesday ordered the remand of human rights lawyer, Dele Farotimi, at the state’s correctional facility. Farotimi was arraigned on charges of defamation of character, stemming from claims made in his book Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System, in which he accused Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Afe Babalola, of compromising the Supreme Court.
Chief Magistrate Abayomi Adeosun, after hearing from police prosecutor Samson Osubu, who presented 16 charges to which Farotimi pleaded not guilty, adjourned the matter to December 10, 2024.
Farotimi, who was arrested in Lagos on Monday by officers from Ekiti State, was brought to Ado Ekiti for his arraignment. Adeosun ruled that Farotimi should file a formal bail application, and the case was adjourned to next Tuesday, December 10, 2024. Farotimi was subsequently remanded in the Ado Ekiti Correctional Centre.
On Tuesday, Ekiti State Commissioner of Police, Adeniran Akinwale, defended the arrest, citing allegations of cyberbullying and defamation. Akinwale stated that the charges of defamation and cyberstalking were “fully established” and emphasized that the investigation into Farotimi’s actions was ongoing.