Dele Farotimi Versus Baba Aare Afe Babalola: A Case of an Unfair Apportioning of The Institutional Wage of Sin

“I have never been a fan of Dele Farotimi and his tactics of seeking to take on the mantle of Gani Fawehinmi as the fighter for social justice and the little man without putting in the work. Unlike the late icon Gani Fawehinmi who put in the work, paid the huge price personally and professionally with deep scars to show for his effort, Dele Farotimi has sought to use social media notoriety, crude and unguarded defaming, scandalizing of other people’s reputation as the launchpad for his undeserved and unmerited social activist status.“ The titanic legal confrontation between Dele Farotimi and highly respected Chief Are Afe Babalola has totally taken up the oxygen in the Nigerian social media, judicial and political space. It has dominated the news and taken on a life of its own with partisan combatants on both sides. It has pitted the preeminent Doyen of the Nigerian legal aristocracy against a legal upstart who is a master of social media fueled social activism and pseudo-defender of the poor and oppressed. I am not pretending to be a neutral objective analyst in the conflict. I have never been a fan of Dele Farotimi and his tactics of seeking to take on the mantle of Gani Fawehinmi as the fighter for social justice and the little man without putting in the work. Unlike the late icon Gani Fawehinmi who put in the work, paid the huge price personally and professionally with deep scars to show for his effort, Dele Farotimi has sought to use social media notoriety, crude and unguarded defaming, scandalizing of other people’s reputation as the launchpad for his undeserved and unmerited social activist status. I find that morally and professionally reprehensible. He is not the only one in this new cottage industry of reputation washing. I find the entire short cut celebritization of virtue as an obscenity. Baba Are Afe Babalola is undoubtedly at the very pinnacle of the Nigerian legal industry, a reputation he has built diligently and meticulously over six decades. Yes, there are rumors out there in the public domain about how he might have parlay his contact with the Nigerian political class to build his legal empire. If leveraging political capital is a crime, the Nigeria jail-house and in fact jailhouses around the globe will the filled to overcapacity. In order for anyone to criminalize alleged political influence like Dele Farotimi did in his book, on public TV and social media, they had better have irrefutable evidence. That judgement will hopefully be rendered in the Nigerian court of law. It would appear that Dele Farotimi recklessly and maliciously defamed Baba Afe Babalola’s name to advance his unearned and underserved social activist street cred. Dele Farotimi has a long record of recklessly throwing bombs at other people’s reputation wrecking them to build up his own. Even more impressive and legacy affirming than Chief Afe Babalola’s out of this world remarkable legal career, are what he has done at the later stage of his life with his resources, when most of his contemporaries have either kicked the bucket or are too infirm to do much. While the Nigerian money class would rather invest their resources in plush real estates in the Riveira amd Monte Carlo and in shell companies in Panama, Baba Afe Babalola has instead chosen late in his life when he could be resting in the luxury of retirement, to invest a huge chunk of his resources in legacy humanitarian projects like the Afe Babalola University with its world class physical and academic infrastructure among other community development ventures and donations to international institutions. That, in my view, is a life worthy of celebration and emulation. It is not how one begins life that matters, it is how one ends it. Baba Afe Babalola embodies that as he races to the finish line of a remarkable life. Baba has left a legacy that people will be talking about for centuries after we all have gone. His legal exploit will be a mere byline in that legacy. So Baba Afe Babalola would remain a historical figure whose humanitarian footprint will stand the test of time no matter the outcome of this last legal kungfu fight. He should be commended for his courage in taking on the fight when he could have walked away and let the howling dog have its day. ALSP READ: Kidnapping of ASUU Chairman’s wife: Lecturer Arrested The legal tussle between him and Dele Farotimi is however an entirely different story. On its legal merit, based on what is out there in the public domain it would appear that Chief Afe Babalola has a solid case against Dele Farotimi. It would appear that Dele Farotimi recklessly and maliciously defamed Baba Afe Babalola’s name to advance his unearned and underserved social activist street cred. Dele Farotimi has a long record of recklessly throwing bombs at other people’s reputation wrecking them to build up his own. Many including President Tinubu have been on the receiving end of his reckless scorched earth, bomb throwing reputation damage tactic. Perhaps his being held accountable this time will send a cautionary warning to him and his ilk. Nigerian Social media has for too long become a waste land for long earned reputation with many of its victims having no place to seek restitution. While this case will not put and end to the celebritization of social media activisms and notoriety monetization cottage industry, the Dele Farotimi versus Are Babalola case might send a cautionary note that there are limits. The unfortunate part of the whole saga for Baba Afe Babalola is that it has metastasized beyond its legal argument to the status of an attention-grabbing, controversy-spinning social media cause célèbre. On top of that, it has gotten enmeshed in the messy world of Nigerian class warfare. It has been mischievously turned into a David versus Goliath affair, and partisan politics. The partisan dimension is indeed the most curious part because neither Baba Afe Babalola nor Dele

Farotimi brought to court in handcuffs, granted bail

To the consternation of lawyers and others of the human rights community, Dele Farotimi was brought to court today in handcuffs as the Ekiti State High Court granted bail at the sum of ₦50 million.  The conditions for bail include a surety with the same sum and ownership of a landed property.  The Ekiti State High Court has approved bail for human rights lawyer Dele Farotimi, setting the amount at ₦50 million.  The conditions for bail include a surety with the same sum and ownership of a landed property.   Reacting to Farotimi’s court appearance, activist lawyer, Deji Adeyanju posted on X, “Shame on everyone involved in this embarrassment to the legal profession. “A lawyer in handcuffs over defamation, not armed robbery, kidnapping or any crime. “No wonder they abducted Dele Farotimi and took him to where Baba Afe Babalola is king, Ekiti.” The case, linked to a defamation suit brought by Chief Afe Babalola, claims Farotimi’s book, Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System, damaged his reputation.   Another human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong wonders why Farotimi had to be brought to court in handcuffs when he is neither violent nor resisted being taken to court. “Dele Farotimi is a political prisoner and will come out stronger,” he concluded. Farotimi’s arrest by the Ekiti Police sparked reactions from civil right groups and the Nigerian Bar Association.  Many criticized the move, describing it as a threat to freedom of expression and justice. The case will continue on January 29, 2025. Babalola, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, claims Farotimi’s book, Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System, damaged his reputation.