An Ado-Ekiti Magistrate Court has granted human rights lawyer and activist Dele Farotimi bail in the sum of ₦30 million.
The court also, as part of the bail conditions, requested Farotimi to produce two sureties, one of whom must own landed property within the Afo-Ekiti jurisdiction of the court.
Farotimi was also ordered to surrender his international passport and stop granting media interviews while the case is ongoing.
The activist was alleged to have defamed legal luminary and elder statesman, Chief Afe Babalola, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, in his book, Nigeria’s Criminal Justice System.
The case was adjourned till February 13, 2025.
Farotimi, who has been remanded in a correctional centre in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital for over two weeks, arrived at the Magistrate Court premises around 9:45 am on Friday.
He was conveyed to the court premises in a prison’s van with a police escort, alighting while raising his hands up in appreciation of a cheering crowd outside the court.
His bail comes after the magistrate, Abayomi Adeosun, had at the last sitting, reserved ruling till December 20 on the bail application and ordered that the activist be remanded in prison.
During the court proceedings, Farotimi pleaded not guilty to the 14-count charge preferred against him by the police.
His counsel, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, had filed a preliminary objection asking the court to strike out the charge.
According to him, the charge before the court was unknown to law and the offence of defamation was not recognised under the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2021.
Many Nigerians have called for Farotimi’s immediate release from detention.
Some opposition leaders including former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Omoyele Sowore, among others, have all joined in the call for the release of Farotimi from detention.