Farotimi,Tuesday in Ekiti
Human Rights lawyer and activist, Dele Farotimi, has regained his freedom after meeting the bail conditions demanded by the Ekiti state Magistrate Court.
This was disclosed in a post on X on Tuesday by fellow human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore.
“I am pleased to report that @DeleFarotimi Farotimi is no longer being held at the prison yards in Ekiti state and is now returning home to Lagos. The struggle continues! Happy holidays to you all!” Sowore wrote.
According to reports, sources disclosed that Farotimi had his release delayed due to bureaucratic hurdles despite being granted bail N50 million by Justice Babs O. Kuewumi of the Federal High Court in Ekiti on the 9th of December.
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Also attached to the bail condition was a guarantor who owns a landed property worth the same amount as the surety.
Ekiti state’s Magistrate Court, where he was initially tried, also granted him bail of N30 million on the 20th December.
Magistrate Abayomi Adeosun ruled in favour of Farotimi’s bail request.
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.
It will be recalled that Farotimi was arrested following a petition by Chief Afe Babalola (SAN) over alleged defamation in relation to his published book titled ‘Nigeria and its Corrupt Justice System’.
The court needed to verify documents submitted by his sureties with banks and government agencies, which was only completed last Friday.
“However, the judge has yet to sign off on these documents, preventing the prison authorities from releasing Farotimi,” one of the sources said on Sunday.
