Afe Babalola Petitions LPDC to Remove Farotimi’s Name from Lawyers’ Roll
The law firm of Afe Babalola & Co. has filed a petition with the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC), requesting the removal of human rights lawyer and activist Dele Farotimi from the roll of Nigerian legal practitioners.
The 90-page petition, dated December 6, 2024, and signed by Ola Faro, a partner at the law firm, accuses Farotimi of breaching several provisions of the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners (2023). According to the petition, Farotimi’s actions, including his criticism of members of the judiciary and senior lawyers, have tarnished the reputation of the legal profession.
Titled “Petition against Tomilola Titus Farotimi (also known as Dele Farotimi Esq),” the petition outlines specific allegations, including violations of Rules 1, 15, 26, 27, 30, and 31 of the Rules of Professional Conduct. Faro claims the infractions stem from Farotimi’s book, Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System, in which he allegedly made unfounded corruption allegations against high-profile members of the judiciary, including Supreme Court justices, judges of the Lagos State High Court, and senior lawyers such as Aare Afe Babalola, SAN, and Olu Daramola, SAN.
The petition also accuses Farotimi of engaging in misconduct, including making defamatory and false statements about judicial officers, participating in illegal activities like bribing judges, and using disrespectful and undignified language towards the judiciary. Additionally, it claims Farotimi knowingly assisted clients in illegal conduct and obstructed court processes through unprofessional behavior.
Faro specifically highlighted an allegation that Farotimi had “discussed a pending case with a judge in the absence of opposing counsel,” a serious breach of legal ethics.
Farotimi’s book has already been at the center of multiple legal disputes. Both the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja and the Oyo State High Court have issued orders to prohibit the publication, sale, and distribution of the book in both hard and soft copies. According to the petition, the statements made in the book “could inflame the legal profession and society” by discrediting the judiciary and damaging its members’ reputations and financial standing.
Farotimi was recently arrested and arraigned separately in Ekiti State, facing charges of defamation and cyberbullying following a petition by Afe Babalola, SAN, who accused Farotimi of defaming him and other senior advocates in the book by alleging that they were involved in corrupting Supreme Court justices. After his arraignment, Farotimi was remanded in prison pending further legal proceedings.
In the petition, Faro stressed the need to address Farotimi’s alleged violations to “protect the dignity of the legal profession, uphold the standards of the judiciary, and preserve the integrity of the court as the temple of justice.”
The LPDC is expected to review the petition and decide whether disciplinary action, including the removal of Farotimi’s name from the roll of legal practitioners, is justified.
