By Temitope A Magistrate Court in Ekiti has granted N50 million bail to rights lawyer Dele Farotimi following defamation allegations.
On Monday, the presiding judge, Babs Olaniyi Kuewumi, granted bail to rights lawyer Dele Farotimi, setting conditions that included a surety providing two years’ tax clearance and a letter of consent from a bank.
Dele Farotimi was escorted to the courtroom in handcuffs by police officers and the trial was subsequently adjourned to January 29, 2025.
The activist faces a 12-count charge filed by the Inspector-General of Police on Friday, accusing him of cybercrime. One of the charges alleges that Farotimi knowingly spread false information about Afe Babalola, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), during an online interview.
According to the charge, Farotimi claimed in an interview on the Mic On Podcast by Seun Okinbaloye, referencing his book Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System, that “Aare Afe Babalola corrupted the judiciary.” The statement was deemed false and aimed at inciting a breakdown of law and order, violating Section 24(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act 2015.
Farotimi was arrested last Tuesday in Lagos by officers from the Ekiti State Police Command after a petition filed by Babalola. He was subsequently arraigned on a 16-count charge at an Ekiti magistrate court, which ordered his remand in prison custody pending the hearing of his bail application scheduled for December 10.