After so many weeks of what many considered as illegal incarceration and unnecessary show of power, the popular Human Rights Activist/Lawyer, Dele Farotimi has not only being granted bail but this time around, he has made the bail and he’s out of Ado-Ejiti Correctional Centre at last.
It would be recalled that he was arrested following a petition by lawyer Chief Afe Babalola (SAN), alleging defamation of character from the activist widely circulated book.
However, our correspondent learnt this morning that Farotimi had finally been released after perfecting his bail.
It would be recalled that despite being granted bail by both the Federal High Court in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State on cybercrime charges brought by the Nigeria Police and a Magistrate Court in Ado-Ekiti on criminal defamation charges, Farotimi remained in detention at the Ado-Ekiti correctional centre for weeks.o
Despite the fact that Justice Babs O. Kuewumi of the Federal High Court in Ekiti granted Dele Farotimi’s bail application on December 9, 2024, Farotimi’s release had been delayed due to very funny and unbelievable bureaucratic bottlenecks.
The court needed to verify documents submitted by his sureties with banks and government agencies, which was only completed last week Friday.
Following the Ekiti Magistrate Court’s decision to grant Dele Farotimi bail last Friday, December 20, 2024, the magistrate presiding over the case, Abayomi Adeosun, departed after the proceedings without completing the necessary bail formalities, further delaying Farotimi’s release,
Farotimi is facing trial in two courts on charges bordering on the alleged defamation of Afe Babalola.
On December 9, the Federal High Court in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State granted Farotimi N50 million bail with one surety, following a 12-count charge bordering on cybercrime filed by the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.
Justice Babs O. Kuewumi ruled on December 9, 2024, that Farotimi should be released on bail, but with some conditions. Specifically, Farotimi needed to provide a surety of N50 million and a guarantor who owns a landed property worth the same amount as the surety.
Justice Kuewumi adjourned the case to January 29, 2025, for further proceedings.
On Friday, December 20, 2023, at the hearing of Farotimi’s bail application at the Ekiti State Magistrate Court in Ado-Ekiti, Magistrate Abayomi Adeosun ruled in favour of Farotimi’s bail request.
The magistrate court granted Farotimi N30 million bail. The bail conditions included provision of two responsible sureties and required Farotimi to surrender his passport to the court.
One of the sureties must be a house owner.
Additionally, the defendant was barred from granting any media interview.
Before the bail ruling, Adeosun ruled against Farotimi’s defence lawyer, Yinka Olumide-Fusika (SAN), prohibiting him from appearing for his client in the case.
