Dele Farotimi appears in court in handcuffs, gets N50m bail

The  Federal High Court in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State, has granted human rights activist, Dele Farotimi, N50 million bail with one surety.

Last Tuesday, Farotimi was arrested in Lagos by officers attached to the Ekiti state Police Command, over alleged defamation and cyberbullying.

The arrest was connected to a petition written by Afe  Babalola.

Following his arrest, the activist was arraigned on a 16-count charge at the Ekiti magistrate court over alleged defamation.

The court remanded Farotimi in prison custody pending the hearing of his bail application on December 10.

However, Justice Babs Olaniyi Kuewumi of the Federal High Court, yesterday, asked the surety to provide evidence of two years’ tax clearance and a letter of consent from the Bank.

Farotimi, who wore a pink shirt, was led by police officers to the courtroom in handcuffs.

Kuewumi subsequently adjourned trial to January 29, 2025.

On Friday, the inspector-general of police filed a 12-count charge bordering on cybercrime, against Farotimi.

The activist was accused of spreading false information against Afe Babalola, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), through an online interview.

Count one of the counts reads: “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 (http://youtube.com/watch?v=4USuxB…) 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 the 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.”