Prominent Nigerian human rights lawyer, Dele Farotimi, has been released from prison in Ekiti State, where he was held for weeks following legal actions initiated by senior lawyer Afe Babalola.
Farotimi’s release was announced by Omoyele Sowore, former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), via a post on his official X (formerly Twitter) handle.
“I am pleased to report that Dele Farotimi is no longer being held at the prison yards in Ekiti State and is now returning home to Lagos,” Sowore wrote. “The struggle continues! Happy holidays to you all!”Farotimi’s troubles began after the release of his book, Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System, on July 2. The 116-page book critiqued systemic issues in Nigeria’s judiciary, sparking accusations of defamation from Afe Babalola. On December 3, Farotimi was arrested in at his Lagos office by policemen linked to the Ekiti State Police Command and was transported to Ekiti.
The defamation charges brought against him escalated when the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, filed 12 additional charges against Farotimi at an Ekiti Federal High Court.
Additionally, an Abuja High Court ordered a nationwide seizure of all physical and digital copies of Farotimi’s book, temporarily prohibiting its distribution.
The arrest and prosecution drew widespread condemnation from Nigerians, with many describing it as a violation of free speech. Calls for protests grew louder after Farotimi was denied bail multiple times. On December 20, an Ekiti State Magistrate Court eventually granted bail, with stringent conditions: A ₦30 million bond, Two sureties, one of whom must own property, Submission of Farotimi’s passport and A restriction on granting media interviews.
