Police Withdraw Defamation Charge Against Dele Farotimi

|JUDICIARY| Nigeria Police Force has filed a notice to discontinue suit it filed against Lagos-based legal practitioner and author, Dele Farotimi over alleged deflation of legal luminary, Chief Afe Babalola

Police said would be asking the court to strike out the charge following the desire of the nominal complainant, Are Afe Babalola, to discontinue the case after the intervention of well-meaning Nigerians.

The notice of discontinuance dated January 29th was filed pursuant to Section 108 (1) (2)(a) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.

The notice seeking to withdraw the charge pending against Mr Farotimi at the Federal High Court, Ado-Ekiti was signed by the police prosecutor, Samson Osubu.

The hearing of the defamation suit against Farotimi is expected to continue at Federal High Court, Ado Ekiti today.

However, it was learnt that the prosecution has served the notice on the defendants counsel in court.

Legal luminary,Afe Babalola University had on Monday, agreed to withdraw the cases instituted against activist and lawyer, Dele Farotimi.

Police had arrested Farotimi following petition that he defamed him in a book titled ‘Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System.’

Th activist lawyer was subsequently stood trial for alleged criminal defamation before an Ekiti State Magistrate Court, Ado Ekiti District.

He was also arraigned for alleged cyber-bullying before the Ado Ekiti Division of Federal High Court.

But Babalola, after the intervention of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, and other top traditional rulers at the last Monday agreed to withdraw the defamation case, saying, “I will tell my lawyers to withdraw the case.”
|TheNewsDESK|