Dele Farotimi, a prominent human rights activist, has arrived at the Ekiti Magistrate Court in Ado-Ekiti for his trial.
Cyber Reporters reports that the court premises were heavily guarded by police officers and other law enforcement agents.
Farotimi’s arrest was sparked by a petition filed by Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Afe Babalola, who accused Farotimi of defaming him in his book “Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice”.
The charges against Farotimi include allegations that he authored, published, and circulated the book, which contained statements that could cause fear and alarm to the public or disturb the public peace.
The charges particularly mentioned a statement on page IX of the book, where Farotimi allegedly accused Babalola of corrupting the Supreme Court to procure a fraudulent judgment.
Farotimi’s trial has raised concerns about the fairness of the judicial process, particularly given the heavy police presence and the fact that the trial is taking place in Ekiti State, rather than Lagos, where Farotimi is based.
The court is set to rule on Farotimi’s bail application, which was filed by his legal team.
It’s worth noting that Farotimi’s arrest and trial have been widely criticized by human rights activists and lawyers, who argue that the charges against him are baseless and that he is being targeted for his outspoken criticism of the Nigerian government and judiciary.
The case has also sparked debate about the limits of free speech in Nigeria and the use of defamation laws to silence critics.
