Afe Babalola to Withdraw Defamation Suit Against Dele Farotimi

This is because Mr Babalola has succumbed to pressure after he was approached by some traditional rulers to forget about the matter.

“I will tell my lawyers to withdraw the case,” the founder of Afe Babalola University in Ekiti State, reportedly said after a meeting with the monarchs led by the Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Ogunwusi, in the early hours of Monday.

“If you go through the pamphlet (Mr Farotimi’s book titled Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System), you will find that he attacked many judges by names, he attacked Supreme Court judges, and none is bothered, but I am bothered. I am bothered because of where and how I started life, from the farm to where I am.

“There is nothing I am going to gain from his imprisonment. There is nothing I am going to gain from so-called damages. I am not in quest of more wealth, rather how to spend what I have for the benefit of others. The only time I am happy is when I give.

“The request is simple, take away this criminal case in court. When Obasanjo wrote, he came here, I said no. when Kukah phoned and came, I said no, but on this occasion, I say yes. Thank you Kabiyesis. I will speak to my lawyers to withdraw it,” he said.

Earlier, the respected Yoruba traditional ruler appealed to him to withdraw the case from the court because nobody is can tarnish his image.

“Nobody can tarnish your name. Your name is more than silver and gold and you have stood for your name with the message that nobody can joke with your name.

“Baba, we want to appeal and also use our race to instruct you. Dele Farotimi is your son, you may not know him, we give birth to different children in this world, some are tough, some are soft, some are hard. Why we are here is our ethos as a race.

“We are using our race because some of our elders in Yorubaland and even beyond Yorubaland have spoken, but combining forces with the traditional institution, we have heard you, enough, enough and enough. Your name is intact. We have resolved the matter in our own way, we have done the needful,” the Ooni said.

Recall that in November 2024, after a petition from Mr Babalola, the Ekiti State Command of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) arrest Mr Farotimi in Lagos and arraigned him in a Magistrate Court in Ado-Ekiti.

He remained in prison until he was granted bail a few days to Christmas. He later returned to his base in Lagos in preparation for resumption of trial in the coming weeks.