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| Farotimi arrives the court premises |
Human rights lawyer and activist Dele Farotimi has been granted bail of ₦30 million by a Magistrate Court in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State. The court mandated two sureties, one of whom must own landed property within its jurisdiction.
Additionally, Farotimi was ordered to surrender his international passport and refrain from granting media interviews while the case is ongoing.
His legal troubles stem from allegations of defamation brought by Senior Advocate of Nigeria Afe Babalola. The case has been adjourned to February 13, 2025.
According to Channels Television, Farotimi, who has been remanded in a correctional centre in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital for over two weeks, arrived at the Magistrate Court premises around 9:45 am on Friday.
He was conveyed to the court premises in a prison’s van with a police escort, alighting while raising his hands up in appreciation of a cheering crowd outside the court.
His bail comes after the magistrate, Abayomi Adeosun, had at the last sitting, reserved ruling till December 20 on the bail application and ordered that the activist be remanded in prison.
During the court proceedings, Farotimi pleaded not guilty to the 14-count charge preferred against him by the police.
His counsel, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, had filed a preliminary objection asking the court to strike out the charge.
According to him, the charge before the court was unknown to law and the offence of defamation was not recognised under the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2021.
Farotimi is being prosecuted before a chief magistrate’s court in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State for allegedly defaming a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Afe Babalola.
The arrest of the activist sparked public criticisms with many Nigerians calling for his immediate release.
Opposition leaders including former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Omoyele Sowore, among others all joined in the call for the release of Farotimi. They accused the government of trying to suffocate dissenting voices.
Civil society organisations, including Amnesty International also condemned Farotimi’s arrest and demanded his immediate release.
Amnesty International Nigeria had in one of its series of post on X over the matter, said, “the Nigerian authorities must end repression of dissent and immediately and unconditionally release him (Farotimi).
Also, human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN) condemned the arrest, describing it as illegal.
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