Farotimi Threatens Legal Action Over Arrest, Detention In Defamation Case
THECONSCIENCE NG reports that human rights lawyer Dele Farotimi has threatened to take legal action against those responsible for his arrest and detention in a defamation case filed by senior advocate Afe Babalola (SAN), which has since been withdrawn.
Farotimi was arrested by police in Lagos in December 2024 and taken to Ekiti State, where he was charged with defaming Babalola in his book, Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System. He was remanded for 21 days by an Ekiti Magistrate Court before Babalola later withdrew the case, effectively ending the legal dispute.
However, Farotimi has vowed to pursue justice over what he described as a misuse of state power for a private agenda.
“Let me reassert that I was always at peace,” he said during an appearance on television program on Sunday “But when it comes to holding accountable those who abused state power in pursuit of a private cause, you can be certain—some people will answer for my incarceration. That’s not a matter for banter; it’s for the courts.”
He emphasized that the withdrawal of the criminal case does not rule out civil proceedings. “Civil suits are still on the table, and what I intend to do in response to my incarceration is a different matter entirely. But take it to the bank—I will be demanding accountability,” he said.
When asked who he plans to sue, Farotimi noted that his legal team will determine the responsible parties. “Whether it’s the police, the magistrate who remanded me, or the petitioners—someone will have to explain,” he asserted.
Babalola withdrew the case following interventions by several prominent Nigerians, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Bishop Matthew Kukah, as well as South-West traditional rulers. The legal icon said their appeals led him to drop the charges.
Farotimi, however, maintained that he was neither informed nor involved in those interventions. “I did not ask anyone to intervene, and I wasn’t consulted before those visits to Chief Babalola,” he clarified.
