Prominent activist and legal practitioner, Dele Farotimi, has been granted bail by the Ekiti State High Court following his arrest in a high-profile defamation case. The bail conditions, as set by the court, require Farotimi to provide ₦50 million and a surety of equal value, with the surety mandated to own a landed property.

The case, which has drawn significant public attention, is scheduled to continue on January 29, 2025, when further proceedings will be held.

Farotimi was taken into custody by operatives of the Ekiti State Police Command after being accused of defamation by Chief Afe Babalola, a 95-year-old Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). The accusation stems from Farotimi’s book, Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System, which Babalola claims contains defamatory content.

The activist’s arrest triggered widespread criticism from civil society organizations and professional bodies, including the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA). Many decried the detention as an attack on free speech and called for Farotimi’s immediate release.

Chief Babalola, an esteemed legal luminary, has pursued the case in what many view as an effort to protect his reputation. However, the controversy has sparked national debate over the balance between protecting individual reputations and safeguarding the right to freedom of expression.