Court strikes out defamation case against Farotimi

The Federal High Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti has struck out the defamation case against human rights lawyer, Dele Farotimi, instituted against him by the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun.

Recall that the IGP Egbetokun had late last year filed a suit against Farotimi over alleged cybercrime.

The IGP had filed 12 counts bordering on cybercrime against him based on an interview granted about his published book titled ‘Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System,’ where he allegedly defamed legal icon Aare Afe Babalola.

Also, recall that the court had on December 9, 2024, granted bail to the defendant and adjourned until today, January 29, 2025.

Additionally, Afe Babalola, in a midnight meeting with the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, and some prominent traditional rulers in Ekiti, had agreed to withdraw the defamation suit against Farotimi.

READ ALSO: How Ooni prevailed on Babalola to drop defamation case against Farotimi

When the case, numbered FHC/AD/CR/104/2025, came up, the prosecution, led by Mr. Samson Osobu, told the court about the desire of the prosecution to discontinue the case.

Osobu said, “The matter slated for this morning, we have served a notice of discontinuance dated January 29, 2025, and filed today. We ask that the application be granted and the charge struck out.”

According to him, the nominal complainant has expressed his desire to discontinue the case.

The counsel to the defendant, Mr. Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika (SAN), said, “We accept the discontinuance and withdrawal. We are not opposed to the discontinuation of the charge.”

In his ruling, Justice Babs Kuewumi consequently struck out the suit.