In a world where reputation is everything, the stakes of defamation claims are higher than ever.
When words lead to damage, the court becomes the battleground where justice is sought.
What happens when the court must decide whether to grant bail to a prominent figure accused of a crime?
This is the pressing issue at the heart of the recent case involving human rights’ lawyer, Dele Farotimi, who is facing serious defamation charges.
Farotimi Requests Bail
The magistrate court in Ado-Ekiti has denied bail to human rights activist, Dele Farotimi.
He was taken to court for allegedly defaming Afe Babalola, the founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti.
At the court hearing on Tuesday, the presiding magistrate, Abayomi Adeosun, postponed the decision on Farotimi’s bail application to December 20.
This happened after the police counsel, Samson Osobu, argued that the bail application submitted by the defendant was incomplete and not properly filed.
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Reversal Of Farotimi Bail
This ruling, however, contradicts the decision of the Federal High Court in Ado-Ekiti, which granted Farotimi bail on Monday.
The court charged him with defamation for statements in his book, Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System, where he alleged that Babalola had compromised the Supreme Court.
In his ruling, the Chief Magistrates Court in the Ado Ekiti Division ordered Farotimi’s remand at the state’s correctional centre.
Meanwhile, Falana demanded Farotimi’s unconditional release, stating, “The arrest is unlawful and we demand his immediate release from police custody.”
