Alleged Defamation: Afe Babalola Set to Withdraw Lawsuit Against Farotimi

 

Afe Babalola Set to Withdraw Defamation Suit Against Dele Farotimi

Legal icon and elder statesman, Afe Babalola, has announced that he is prepared to withdraw his criminal defamation lawsuit against rights activist Dele Farotimi.

Babalola had filed the suit in an Ado Ekiti Magistrates’ Court following the publication of Farotimi’s book, which allegedly defamed him.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Babalola’s decision to withdraw the suit comes after a visit from the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, on Sunday night.

The Ooni’s visit to Babalola at his residence within Afe Babalola University (ABUAD) in Ado Ekiti was to personally appeal to him to reconsider and withdraw the lawsuit. The Ooni was accompanied by a delegation of prominent Yoruba traditional rulers, including the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Ogoga of Ikere-Ekiti, Oloye of Oye-Ekiti, Ajero of Ijero-Ekiti, and Olojudo of Ido-Ekiti, among others.

During the meeting, Babalola shared that he had received numerous letters and calls from influential Nigerians, urging him to drop the case. Among those who reached out to him were former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Bishop Hassan Kukah.

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria expressed that, having received such compelling pleas, he felt he had no choice but to heed the requests of the traditional rulers. Babalola emphasized that he had no desire to see Farotimi jailed, as he had nothing to gain from such an outcome.

Babalola assured the visiting traditional rulers that he would instruct his lawyers to withdraw the defamation suit.

Earlier, the Ooni had expressed that the matter had been closely followed by Yoruba leaders and the traditional institution. He mentioned that they had decided to intervene in hopes of convincing Babalola to forgive Farotimi, whom he referred to as “his son.”

The Ooni also praised Babalola for his integrity and urged him to maintain his high standards despite the controversy.

The meeting concluded around midnight.

For context, Babalola had filed the defamation suit against Farotimi, alleging criminal defamation related to the contents of Farotimi’s book, Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System.

Total
0
Shares
Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Posts