nigeria online news Founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (Aare Afe Babalola SAN), has reportedly agreed to withdraw the case against activist and lawyer Dele Farotimi in the early hours of Monday morning.
Babalola petitioned the Ekiti State Police Commissioner, accusing Farotimi of defaming him in a book titled “Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System”, following which the police arrested the activist lawyer and arrested him in Ekiti He was arraigned in two state courts.
As a result, Farotimi was tried before the Ekiti State Magistrate Court, Ado Ekiti District, for criminal defamation and before the Ado Ekiti Division of the Federal High Court for alleged cyber bullying.
But Babalola, who spoke at ABUAD after the intervention of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi and other senior traditional rulers at a midnight meeting, said he had agreed to withdraw the criminal case, “I will tell my lawyers to drop the case,” he said.
Also present at the meeting were the Chairman and Olojudo of Ekiti State Council of Traditional Rulers, Oba Ayorinde Ilori-Faboro; Ewi of Ado Ekiti, Oba Adeyemo Adejugbe; Olojudo of Ido Ekiti; , Oba Joseph Adewole; Ogoga of Ikere Ekiti, Oba Adejimi Adu; Chief Oba Michael Ademolaju of Oye Ekiti; and Alaaye of Efon Ekiti, Oba Emmanuel Aladehare (Oba Emmanuel Aladejare).
Reiterating the importance of Yoruba traditional institutions and the influence they exercise, Babalola said: “The monarchs are here and they are appealing to me on a criminal charge involving someone I corrupted.”
The senior defense lawyer said he was deeply saddened by Farotimi’s accusations that he had won all his cases through corruption; he therefore dismissed all previous appeals brought to him to have the cases heard out of court.
He listed those who have called on him to take the matter to court, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo; Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese Mathew Kukah; Oba Adejugbe of Ado Ekiti, a Uighur.
He said: “If you look through this pamphlet (Farotimi’s book) you will see that he attacked many judges by name, he attacked the Supreme Court judges, and no one cared, but I did. I am very concerned about my Troubled by where and how life began, from the farm to the present.
“I will gain nothing from his imprisonment. I will gain nothing from the so-called harm. I am not after more wealth, but how to use what I have to benefit others. My only happiness That’s when I give.
“The request was simple, transfer this criminal case to court. When Obasanjo wrote the letter, he came here and I said no. When Kukah called, I said no, but this time I said yes. Thank you Kabiyesi. I will be contacting my attorney to withdraw the decision.
The Ooni who spoke on behalf of the Yoruba monarch asked Babalola to withdraw the case in court, assuring him that “no one can tarnish your name. Your name is not just silver and gold, you represent your name” , conveying the message: No one can joke about your name.
Acknowledging Babalola’s contribution to the development of Yoruba, Nigeria and the world, Ogunwusi said: “We (the monarch) came here to discuss the matter with him and he fully respected the Oba and agreed.
“We, Obama, can attest to the hard work of Aare Afe Babalola and how hard he invested in building his reputation. This name cannot be tarnished or destroyed by anyone. Aare Afe Babalola ) proved to the world that he cherished his name, and the world heard his voice clearly.
“Dad, we want to appeal and use our race to guide you. Delefarotimi is your son. You may not know him. We have given birth to different children in this world, some are tough, Some are soft, some are hard. The reason we are here is our spirit as a race.
The Ooni added, “We use our race because some elders in Yorubaland and even outside Yorubaland have spoken but combined with the power of traditional institutions we have heard your voice, enough is enough Got it. Your name is intact. We’ve worked our way through it and we’ve done what was necessary.
