Ekiti Court Grants Dele Farotimi N50 Million Bail

The Federal High Court in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, has granted prominent lawyer and human rights activist, Dele Farotimi, bail in the sum of N50 million. The court’s ruling, issued on Monday, also requires that Farotimi provide a surety with a landed property valued at the same amount.

Omoyele Sowore, the 2023 presidential candidate for the African Action Congress (AAC), shared the news of the bail conditions on his X (formerly Twitter) account. He wrote, “The first hurdle was crossed. #DeleFarotimi was granted bail of N50 million surety in the like sum with someone with landed property. The case was adjourned to January 29, 2025.”

Farotimi’s arrest followed a defamation lawsuit filed by Aare Afe Babalola, a 95-year-old Senior Advocate of Nigeria and the founder of Afe Babalola University in Ado-Ekiti. The legal action was based on allegations that Farotimi defamed Babalola in his book, Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System.

The arrest sparked widespread outrage across the country, with civil society groups and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) calling for Farotimi’s immediate release. Many critics decried the action as an assault on freedom of expression and an attempt to silence dissenting voices.

The court has adjourned Farotimi’s case to January 29, 2025, when further proceedings will take place.