Human rights lawyer Dele Farotimi has finally been released from Ado-Ekiti custodial centre where he had been incarcerated for weeks over alleged defamation.
Farotimi was arrested following a petition by lawyer Chief Afe Babalola (SAN), alleging defamation.
However, The Bureau Newspaper learnt on Tuesday morning that Farotimi had finally been released after perfecting his bail.
The Bureau Newspaper reported on Sunday that despite being granted bail by both the Federal High Court in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State on cybercrime charges brought by the Nigeria Police and a Magistrate Court in Ado-Ekiti on criminal defamation charges, Farotimi remained in detention at the Ado-Ekiti correctional centre.
Sources told The Bureau Newspaper that though Justice Babs O. Kuewumi of the Federal High Court in Ekiti granted Dele Farotimi’s bail application on December 9, 2024, his release had been delayed due to bureaucratic hurdles.
The court needed to verify documents submitted by his sureties with banks and government agencies, which was only completed last Friday.
“However, the judge has yet to sign off on these documents, preventing the prison authorities from releasing Farotimi,” one of the sources said on Sunday.
Following the Ekiti Magistrate Court’s decision to grant Dele Farotimi bail last Friday, December 20, 2024, the magistrate presiding over the case, Abayomi Adeosun, departed after the proceedings without completing the necessary bail formalities, further delaying Farotimi’s release, it was also learnt.
Farotimi is facing trial in two courts on charges bordering on the alleged defamation of Afe Babalola.
On December 9, the Federal High Court in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State granted Farotimi N50 million bail with one surety, following a 12-count charge bordering on cybercrime filed by the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.
The Federal High Court granted bail to Farotimi after the police filed charges against him over allegations of cybercrime.
Justice Babs O. Kuewumi ruled on December 9, 2024, that Farotimi should be released on bail, but with some conditions. Specifically, Farotimi needed to provide a surety of N50 million and a guarantor who owns a landed property worth the same amount as the surety.
Justice Kuewumi adjourned the case to January 29, 2025, for further proceedings.
On Friday, December 20, 2023, at the hearing of Farotimi’s bail application at the Ekiti State Magistrate Court in Ado-Ekiti, Magistrate Abayomi Adeosun ruled in favour of Farotimi’s bail request.
The magistrate court granted Farotimi N30 million bail. The bail conditions included provision of two responsible sureties and required Farotimi to surrender his passport to the court.
One of the sureties must be a house owner.
Additionally, the defendant was barred from granting any media interview.
Before the bail ruling, Adeosun ruled against Farotimi’s defence lawyer, Yinka Olumide-Fusika (SAN), prohibiting him from appearing for his client in the case.
Sources further told The Bureau Newspaper on Sunday that Farotimi’s bail was being processed by leaders of Yoruba social cultural groups who said they had gotten two strong sureties and that they planned to submit them on Monday.