A source close to the legal battle between human rights lawyer, Dele Farotimi, and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Afe Babalola, has clarified that the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, was not sent by Farotimi to intervene in the matter.
The source confirmed to SaharaReporters on Tuesday evening that the Yoruba monarch and other traditional rulers acted of their own volition in persuading Babalola to drop the defamation case against Farotimi.
Naija News recall that in January 2025, Babalola announced his decision to withdraw the criminal defamation case he had filed against Farotimi, following an appeal by Yoruba traditional rulers, including the Ooni of Ife.
Babalola had initially pursued legal action after alleging that Farotimi defamed him in his book titled ‘Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System’. This led to Farotimi’s arrest and his subsequent arraignment in two courts in Ekiti State.
The lawyer faced charges of criminal defamation at an Ekiti State Magistrate Court in Ado Ekiti and cyberbullying at the Federal High Court in Ado Ekiti Division.
Following a midnight meeting at Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUAD), where several traditional rulers, led by the Ooni of Ife, pleaded for forgiveness, Babalola agreed to withdraw the case.
Confirming this, the Ooni’s spokesperson, Moses Olafare, issued a statement detailing how the traditional rulers appealed for a resolution, emphasizing the need for unity and reconciliation among Yoruba leaders.
Although the Federal High Court dismissed the cyberbullying case, the criminal defamation trial at the Magistrate Court remains active, with the next hearing scheduled for Thursday, February 13, 2025.
A lawyer familiar with the matter reiterated that the Ooni and other Yoruba monarchs acted independently in mediating the dispute and were not sent by Farotimi to plead with Babalola.
The source said, “Dele Farotimi read the news about the Ooni and Afe like every other Nigerian. He was neither consulted nor forewarned about the Oba’s missionary journey to Ado.
“The second case comes up next Thursday, and we’ll see how that goes and if they will also withdraw their charges. But we are prepared to open the defence, if they are prepared to proceed as scheduled.”
