Police file cybercrime charges against Dele Farotimi over alleged defamation of Afe Babalola

The Police have filed cybercrime charges against Dele Farotimi,, an activist lawyer following allegation of criminal defamation levelled against him by Afe Babalola, founder of Afe Babalola University Ado Ekiti (ABUAD

Penpushing reports that the case was brought up from a petition by lawyer of the legal luminary and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) alleging that Farotimi defamed him in his book, ‘Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System’.

The petitioner cited 31 excerpts from the book, including one accusing him of corrupting the Nigerian Supreme Court to procure a fraudulent judgement in the service of his clients, while it is recalled that the police had earlier charged Farotimi with 16 counts of criminal defamation of Babalola before a chief magistrate’s court in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State.

Penpushing further reports that the new charges largely focus on Farotimi’s comments in online interviews reiterating allegations made in his book, whereas the case before the chief magistrate’s court centred on excerpts from the book.

The activist in one of the counts was accused of intentionally transmitting communication which he knew to be false information for the purpose of causing breakdown of law and order thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 24(1) (b) of Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act 2015 as amended.

Penpushing also reports that the filing of the fresh charges came barely two days after the police arraigned Farotimi before a chief magistrate’s court in Ado Ekiti, following Babalola’s petition to the Ekiti State Police Command, accusing the author of defaming him

The fresh charges read Some of the counts read: ‘that you Dele Farotimi ‘m’ on 28th August 2024 knowingly and intentionally transmitted communication in an online interview on Mic On Podcast by Seun Okinbaloye on your YouTube Channel in respect of a book authored and published by you titled: “Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System” wherein you stated in the interview that: “Aare Afe Babalola corrupted the judiciary” which you know to be false information for the purpose of causing breakdown of law and order thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 24(1) (b) of Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act 2015 as amended.

Penpushing reports that it equally said, ‘that you Dele Farotimi ‘m’ on 28th August 2024 knowingly and intentionally transmitted communication in an online interview on Mic On Podcast by Seun Okinbaloye on your Youtube Channel in respect of a book authored and published by you titled: “Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System” wherein you stated in the interview that “Aare Afe Babalola corrupted the judiciary” with the intention of bullying and harassing the named persons thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 24 (a) of Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act 2015 as amended.

The count three read, ‘that you Dele Farotimi ‘m’ on 2nd December, 2024 intentionally sent a message in the course of a press conference held on Online on your YouTube Channel where you stated that: “It came to my knowledge that there is a charge preferred before a court in Ekiti State against me at the instance of Chief Afe Babalola.”

Penpushing further reports that the police preferred 16 counts of criminal defamation against Farorimi, who pleaded not guilty to all of them during his arraignment before the chief magistrate’s court on Wednesday, while on Friday the office of the Inspector-General of Police, through, S.O Osobi, filed 12 counts of cybercrimes against Farotimi at the Federal High Court in Ado Ekiti.

The trial chief magistrate, Justice Abayomi Adeosun, however, ordered that the defendant be remanded in the Ado Ekiti correctional centre for him to file a formal bail application, and thereafter adjourned the case till Tuesday, December 10,2024, for the court to hear the bail application.

Penpushing also reports that the prosecution, Samson Otsubu, had asked the court to remand Farotimi in prison, while investigations continued, while as at the time of filing this report it was not clear if the police will eventually drop the magistrate’s court case or they will pursue the two simultaneously.

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