Aare Afe Babalola, founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), has dropped all criminal charges against Lagos-based human rights lawyer Dele Farotimi.
Babalola announced at a press conference in Ado-Ekiti on Sunday evening, alongside the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, and other prominent Yoruba traditional rulers.
The legal luminary said he decided to drop the criminal defamation charges against Farotimi after several Yoruba traditional rulers intervened.
Farotimi had published a book titled “Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System,” in which he alleged that Babalola had corrupted the judiciary. Babalola then filed defamation charges against Farotimi, leading to the latter’s arrest and incarceration for 21 days.
Several high-profile personalities, including former LP presidential candidate Peter Obi, former president Olusegun Obasanjo, and the apex Yoruba social-cultural group Afenifere, intervened to appeal to Babalola to withdraw the charges.
Babalola said he ignored all previous entreaties but yielded to appeals of the traditional institutions because “The statement of an Oba in Yoruba tradition from time immemorial is a command,” he said.
Babalola added, “I rejected an oil block, defended the EFCC law, and also rejected ministerial nominees twice, wondering why anyone would just wake up and try to rubbish all he had laboured for. I have nothing to gain from his imprisonment; I am happy each time I give.“
Yoruba Obas Defend Babalola
Oba Rufus Adejugbe, the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti; Oba Ilori Faboro, the Olojudo of Ido-Ekiti; Oba Adejimi Alagbado, the Ogoga of Ikere-Ekiti; and Oba Michael Ademolaju, the Oloye of Oye-Ekiti, were also present at the Sunday press briefing.
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, also addressed journalists, publicly appealing to Babalola to consider the various forces and personalities intervening in the matter. The monarch praised Babalola’s contributions to developing the Yoruba race, the nation, and the world at large.
“We all came together to discuss the matter with him, and he gave all the full respect to the Obas and agreed. We, Obas, can attest to the hard work of Aare Afe Babalola and how he invested so hard to build his name, which cannot be tarnished and rubbished by anyone.
“Aare Afe Babalola has proven to the world that he cherished his name, and the world has heard him loud and clear. Dele Farotimi is your son. We give birth to different children in this world, and as elders, when our children offend us as Yoruba, after a little spank, we also pardon such children,” said Oba Ogunwusi.
Farotimi’s Loud Silence
The anti-corruption crusader, Mr Farotimi, fondly known as The Prophet by his teeming admirers, has not responded to this latest development. However days after his release from prison in December 2024, he tearfully thanked his supporters for “speaking out” in demand for his release. Then he followed it up with a defiant post on X, “I am ready to war“.
I am strong enough to rumble unruffled against principalities and powers, but I am human enough to retain the capacity to shed tears of joy in appreciation of the grace of God, expressed in the concerted efforts of fellow victims. My battle axes are newly sharpened, my guns… pic.twitter.com/gVw1yZTC4a
— Dele Farotimi. A victim of Nigeria (@DeleFarotimi) December 29, 2024
The book, “Nigerian and its Criminal Justice System” by Dele Farotimi can be purchased here 👇
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