A Nigerian court has granted bail to human rights activist Dele Farotimi, who was arrested on 16 counts of criminal defamation. The Federal High Court in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, set the bail at N50 million with a surety in the same amount, who must own landed property.
Farotimi’s arrest stems from allegations that he defamed renowned lawyer Afe Babalola in his book, “Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System.” Babalola’s lawyers claim that Farotimi’s book accused him of corrupting the Supreme Court and leading it to commit acts of evil and injustice.
The case has sparked widespread criticism, with many Nigerians taking to social media to express their outrage over Farotimi’s arrest and the bail conditions. Omoyele Sowore, the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, described the trial as “farcical” and called for the Attorney-General of Ekiti State to discontinue the trial immediately.
Farotimi’s trial is set to continue on Tuesday at the Magistrate Court in Ado-Ekiti, despite the police ban on gatherings and protests in the state. The Take It Back Movement has vowed to go ahead with planned protests in support of Farotimi, arguing that the police lack a legal basis to ban peaceful protests
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