A popular human rights activist, Mr Dele Farotimi, has been remanded in prison custody in Ekiti State after he was arraigned on Wednesday by the police.
He was accused of defaming a legal luminary, Mr Afe Babalola, in a book titled Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System.
The book was published by Mr Farotimi and he claimed that Mr Babalola, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), used his position to influence the judiciary.
The suspect, who is also a lawyer, was allegedly abducted this week in his Lagos chamber by officers of the Ekiti State Command of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and taken to Ekiti State by road.
Today, he was arraigned before Magistrate Abayomi Adeosun of the Ado-Ekiti Magistrate Court on a 16-count charge, which he pleaded not guilty to.
The police said it acted on a petition of defamation written by the founder of Afe Babalola University, Ekiti State.
The nonagenarian lawyer claimed the 56-year-old professional colleague exposed him to hatred, contempt, ridicule and damage his hard-earned career in the book.
At the court today, the police prosecutor, Mr Samson Osun, begged the court to keep the accused person in prison custody pending further investigation.
However, this was opposed by the counsel to the defendant, Mr Dayo Akeredolu, who argued that the alleged offence was bailable and that Mr Farotimi is a public figure who respects the rule of law.
This plea was not answered as Mr Adeosun remanded the suspect in prison custody and adjourned the hearing till December 10.