Prominent legal expert and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Afe Babalola, has filed a petition against activist and lawyer Dele Farotimi, accusing him of defamation in connection with a Supreme Court judgment on a land dispute.
In a petition dated November 19 and addressed to the Ekiti State Commissioner of Police, Babalola alleged that Farotimi defamed him, his law firm, and associates in a book titled Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System. The book allegedly contained statements implying corruption in securing the Supreme Court’s judgment.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that the case escalated when Farotimi was arrested in Lagos on November 28 by Ekiti State police officers. He was arraigned before a magistrate court in Ado-Ekiti, where he faced a 16-count charge, including criminal defamation. He has since been remanded in prison custody.
Babalola’s petition highlighted details of the Supreme Court case involving a 254-hectare land dispute in Lagos.
Representing the Eletu family, Babalola’s law firm secured a Supreme Court judgment in 2013, affirming their rights to the land.
However, the judgment’s implementation faced resistance from affected estates and individuals, leading to fresh lawsuits and negotiations with the Lagos State Government.
The petition also referenced several excerpts from Farotimi’s book and a Channels TV interview, alleging that Babalola and his associates corrupted the judicial process.
Details Of Afe Babalola’s Defamation Petition Against Dele Farotimi Emerge
Statements from the book accused Babalola’s law firm of bribing Supreme Court justices, orchestrating fraudulent judgments, and compromising the judiciary’s integrity.
Babalola strongly refuted these claims, citing the Supreme Court’s ruling that upheld the principles of equity and dismissed fraudulent claims by opposing parties.
The petition further noted that Babalola’s law firm had filed a motion for variation to correct an error in the initial judgment, which was granted in 2014.
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