Bail Conditions Announced
On Monday, the Federal High Court in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, granted bail to rights activist and lawyer Dele Farotimi. The court set his bail at ₦50 million, requiring a surety to match that amount and provide a property as collateral.
Sowore Announces Bail on X
The news was shared by Omoyele Sowore, the 2023 African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, via his X account. He stated, “The first hurdle was crossed. #DeleFarotimi was granted bail of N50 million surety in the like sum with someone with landed property. The case was adjourned to January 29, 2025.”
Legal Representation
Farotimi’s defense was led by Festus Emiri (SAN) at the Federal High Court session on Monday.
Additional Bail Conditions
The court outlined further conditions for the bail, stipulating that the surety must be a resident of Ekiti, possess three years of tax clearance, and own property in Ekiti. The surety must deposit the title deed of the property with the court registrar, and both the surety and Farotimi must provide four recent passport photographs to the court.
Passport Submission Required
Additionally, Farotimi is required to surrender his passport to the court registrar.
New Charges Against Farotimi
The police filed a fresh 12-count charge against Farotimi last Friday, three days after his initial arraignment on 16 counts of criminal defamation at the Chief Magistrate Court in Ado-Ekiti, where he pleaded not guilty.
Details of the Allegations
In the first count of the original charge, Farotimi is accused of making false statements in an online interview and his book, “Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System,” claiming that Aare Afe Babalola corrupted the judiciary, which allegedly could lead to a breakdown of law and order, an offense under Section 24(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act 2015.
