Lagos, Nigeria – Prominent Nigerian lawyer Afe Babalola has decided to withdraw a libel lawsuit he had filed against Dele Farotimi, a fellow lawyer and civil rights activist. The legal action was initially taken after Farotimi allegedly accused Babalola of corrupt practices including bribing judges.
The decision to drop the suit came after the intervention of influential figures including the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi. A meeting involving the Ooni and other traditional rulers from Ekiti State saw Babalola agree to discontinue the matter, highlighting his respect for Yoruba traditions and the advice from these cultural leaders.
This legal retreat is set to be formalized at the Ekiti State High Court in Ado Ekiti. Despite the withdrawal, the controversy leaves a larger imprint on the legal community which had been closely monitoring the proceedings. Babalola, aged 95, cited his reluctance to see Farotimi imprisoned or to pursue financial damages as motivations for his decision. He mentioned, “I have no desire to gain anything from imprisoning him (Farotimi) or from the so-called damages. My focus is on how to utilize what I possess for the benefit of others.”
This announcement followed extensive pleas from both political and religious leaders urging Babalola to reconsider his legal actions. Notably, former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah were among those who had previously failed to persuade him.
While Babalola has directed his attorneys to halt the legal proceedings, the legal battles concerning Farotimi are not yet fully resolved. Some lawyers at Babalola’s law firm expressed disagreement with his decision, and are continuing with separate legal actions related to the defamation claims.
Farotimi had been arrested in December 2024 by the Ekiti State police following a petition from Babalola. He was charged with multiple counts of defamation concerning allegations made in his book "Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System." Farotimi’s publication claimed that Babalola had corrupted the Supreme Court to gain favorable judgments for his clients. Although he pleaded not guilty and was eventually released on bail, the matter had escalated to include other senior lawyers from Babalola’s firm filing separate lawsuits.
Additionally, the Afe Babalola law firm submitted a substantial petition to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC), seeking to disbar Farotimi for conduct deemed unbecoming of a legal practitioner.
As this legal drama unfolds, it continues to capture the attention of the Nigerian public and legal community, reflecting deeply on the interaction between traditional mediation practices and formal legal procedures in contemporary Nigerian society.
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