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Alleged Cybercrime: Court Grants Bail To Farotimi, Confiscates Passport

…You’ll suffer if you protest in Ekiti, group tells agitators

A Federal High Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti, yesterday, granted a N50 million bail to human rights lawyer and activist, Mr Dele Farotimi, over an alleged 12-count cybercrime charge preferred against him by the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.

Farotimi was last week arraigned before a magistrate’s court, in Ado-Ekiti, over a petition written against him by the founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, ABUAD, Aare Afe Babalola, on alleged defamation in his book titled ‘Nigeria and Its Criminal Judicial System.’

However, the IGP filed a fresh suit marked FHC/AD/CR/104/2024 against Farotimi before the Federal High Court over a 12-count charge bordering on cybercrime.

At the hearing of the matter, yesterday, the presiding judge, Justice Babs Kuewumi, disagreed with the prosecutor, Samson Osubu, who argued that the court should not to grant bail to the defendant as moved by his counsel.

In his ruling, Justice Kuewumi granted the defendant a N50 million bail in like sum with a surety resident in Ekiti.

The court also ordered that the defendant must submit his international passport to the court and adjourned the case till January 29, 2025, for the commencement of the hearing.

Speaking with Vanguard, one of the counsel to Farotimi, Ralph Nwoke, commended the court for granting the defendant bail, adding that the team would do everything possible to perfect the bail conditions towards ensuring his release.

You’ll suffer if you protest in Ekiti, group tells agitators

Meanwhile, a group under the auspices of Justice for Afe Babalola Legacy, JABL, yesterday, warned agitators planning to protest in Ado-Ekiti over the trial and detention of Farotimi, to desist from such a plan or face its consequences.

The protesters planned to take to the streets of Ado-Ekiti today, over the legal battle between Afe Babalola and Farotimi.

Addressing journalists in Ado-Ekiti, a member of the group, Chief Michael Osaloni, said the legal luminary is a global icon whose integrity cannot be jeopardised by any individual.

Recall that a human rights activist, Mr Omoyele Sowore had called for a nationwide protest slated for today in Ekiti, Lagos, Abuja and Kings College, London.

Reacting to the call, Osaloni said Farotimi and his colleagues are professional protesters, who use agitation as a weapon to disrupt the peace of the country.

His words: “Farotimi and others are professional protesters, little things they want to turn the country upside down. You must be prepared to face the consequences of what you say but can not defend.

“Let them go on but for them to come to Ado-Ekiti, we are waiting for them unless the police stop them. If they do it, they will suffer for it.”

On his part, the Publicity Secretary of the group, Rotimi Opeyeoluwa, urged Farotimi to provide evidence of corruption against the legal icon as documented in his book titled “Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System.”

“This is not a case of David and Goliath, we just need to set the record straight. We want to correct the misconceptions. We don’t want a situation where our icon’s image will be stained. Let Dele Farotimi produce evidence of Aare Afe Babalola corrupting the judiciary; that’s our demand,” he said.

VANGUARD

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