Arrest backfires as Amazon lists Dele Farotimi’s book as No. 1 bestseller in global politics

Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System, a book by Nigerian author and retired lawyer Dele Farotimi, has moved to the top spot on Amazon’s bestseller list in global politics.

The book’s sudden popularity followed Mr. Farotimi’s arrest earlier this week on the orders of prominent lawyer and businessman Afe Babalola.

The book, published in July 2024, had garnered little attention until Tuesday when armed police apprehended Mr. Farotimi in Lagos and transported him to Ado Ekiti, a city where Mr. Babalola lives and own a university.

The arrest and subsequent court proceedings, where Farotimi was remanded in custody until a December 10 bail hearing, sparked outrage and reignited public interest in the book.

Farotimi’s work delves deeply into systemic corruption within Nigeria’s judiciary.

The author directly accuses Babalola, a 93-year-old senior lawyer, of undermining the country’s justice system by influencing court decisions through bribes and backdoor dealings.

In one section, Farotimi alleged that Babalola “compromised the Supreme Court and the remaining semblance of integrity it might have had,” citing a specific case where the lawyer allegedly secured a corrupt outcome.

The arrest has drawn widespread condemnation, with Nigerians accusing Babalola of abusing his influence to suppress dissent.

Critics see the detention as an attack on freedom of expression and an attempt to silence Farotimi’s damning exposé.

The controversy propelled the book to bestseller status on Amazon and spurred a surge in sales at bookstores across Nigeria.

Readers expressed curiosity to learn about the allegations that have ignited national debate and drawn international attention.

Remarkably, Farotimi’s book outperformed globally renowned titles like Why Nations Fail on Amazon’s charts, a rare feat for a Nigerian-themed publication.

The Nigerian police charged Farotimi with publishing material “likely to cause fear and alarm to the public or disturb the public peace,” according to a charge sheet obtained by Peoples Gazette.

However, civil society groups, lawyers, and activists have dismissed the charges as baseless, framing the arrest as an assault on Nigeria’s democracy.

Mr. Babalola, often regarded as Ekiti State’s most influential private citizen, has faced repeated allegations of corrupting Nigeria’s judiciary over the years.

While he has consistently denied wrongdoing, the public backlash following Farotimi’s arrest has renewed scrutiny of his legacy and practices.