The court has denied Dele Farotimi bail and has postponed the case until December 20.

Court Denies Dele Farotimi Bail, Adjourns Case To Dec 20  

The court recently denied bail to Dele Farotimi, a Lagos-based lawyer and human rights activist, during a hearing related to a criminal defamation charge filed by the police. Farotimi is accused of defaming prominent Senior Advocate A. A. Babalola and his law office in his book "Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System." The first of 16 charges states that Farotimi claimed Babalola corrupted the Supreme Court to obtain a fraudulent judgment for his clients, which allegedly poses a threat to public peace and violates Section 591 of the Criminal Code Act, potentially resulting in a three-year prison sentence.

Farotimi arrived at the magistrate court at Doti, escorted by police operatives, and was led directly into the courtroom. The proceedings began with the police prosecutor, Sam Ubu, questioning the appearance of Farotimi's lead counsel, Senior Advocate of Nigeria Adetunji Fika. Ubu argued that a Senior Advocate should not represent a case in a lower court, referencing a recent Court of Appeal ruling. However, Fika countered that the law in the magistrate court does not restrict counsel's status for appearances. 

After hearing arguments from both sides, Magistrate Abad Shon opted to defer his ruling, needing time to review the cited judgment. Meanwhile, another defense team member, Mr. Tai, took over to continue the case. The original charge was amended and presented to Farotimi, with the application for bail subsequently being denied. The case was adjourned to December 28.

Outside the courtroom, tensions rose as supporters of both parties clashed verbally, highlighting the charged atmosphere surrounding the case. While the defendant’s Senior Advocate refrained from on-the-record comments, he described the situation as "toxic" and expressed concerns regarding the pursuit of justice. 

In a parallel development, Senior Advocate K. Miju, representing Babalola's law firm, has initiated a civil suit against Farotimi over alleged defamatory remarks in his book. The firm seeks to halt the book's publication and sales, demand an apology in two national newspapers, and claim damages amounting to 500 million naira.