News
Another SAN slams N500m alleged defamatory suit on Farotimi
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and a partner at Afe Babalola law chamber, Olu Daramola, has filed a N500 million suit at the Ojodu Abiodun Division of Ogun State High Court against Tomilola Titus Farotimi also known as Dele Farotimi for alleged defamation in his new book, titled: Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System.
The suit was filed barely a month after the one filed by Chief Afe Babalola (SAN) over similar and alleged defamatory words in the book.
The writ, dated December 13, 2024, was taken on behalf of the applicant by Iheanyichukwu C. Uwa on behalf of Daramola (SAN).
The claimant is seeking a declaration that the book, titled: Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System authored by the defendant and in circulation within and outside the country and within the jurisdiction of the court contains some defamatory words on page 64.
Daramola averred that the book is offensive, defamatory and derogatory and has brought him into ridicule, odium, disrespect, disrepute and scorn in the eyes of the right-thinking members of the society.
The claimant is seeking a declaration that the book has injured his character, prestige, pedigree and reputation as an honest, law-abiding, competent, dutiful, reliable, diligent and trustworthy legal practitioner.
He is seeking an order of the court to award him N500 million against the defendant, being exemplary and general damages in favour of the claimant for the book authored by the defendant and said to be in circulation all over the country.
Daramola is seeking a court order to compel the defendant to publish an unreserved apology in The Guardian and The Punch or any other two widely national newspapers to retract the libelous excerpts in the book.
The claimant is also seeking a court order directing the recovery and destruction of the book authored by the defendant and currently in circulation across Nigeria and within the jurisdiction of the court in hard and soft copy formats from all bookshops, libraries, archives, booksellers, social media and online platforms, amongst others.
He is also seeking an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendant, whether by himself, privies, agents, servants, workers, officers, or any other person howsoever described from publishing, causing to be published or in any other manner circulating the said offensive book in hard and soft copy formats authored by the defendant on the claimant.
Daramola is praying the court to direct the defendant to pay interest on the judgment sum awarded to the claimant at the rate of 10 per cent per annum from the date of judgment in this suit until the judgment debt is fully and finally liquidated.
No date has been fixed for hearing of the suit.
Farotimi is currently in the custody of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) and is yet to file a response to the suit.
According to him, such financial mishandling not only disrupts critical public services and projects but also results in major losses to the nation’s purse—resources that could have been channelled into crucial services and developmental efforts, as laid out in Section 14(2)(b) of the Constitution.
Speaker Abbas, thereafter setup a Special Committee to be chaired by Rep. Chinedu Martins to immediately launch a probe into the “Utilisation of take-off grants, bailout funds, and interventions allocated to MDAs, government institutions, and GOEs from 2015 to present.”
The FCT Minister, Mr. Nyesom Wike, expressed satisfaction with the progress on the Abuja light rail project, reaffirming its May 29 delivery as sacrosanct.
He made these assurances after inspecting the ongoing construction of access roads to the train stations on Wednesday, from Metro Train Station in the Central Area to Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
Reassuring journalists accompanying him, the minister reiterated that President Bola Tinubu would commission the rail project on May 29 to mark his second year in office.
The visited stations were Wupa station near Idu and Bassanjiwa station near the airport.
“This is part of our routine inspection of ongoing projects to see the contractors’ progress,” Wike explained.
“We are working day and night to fulfill our promise to President Tinubu and FCT residents. By May, Mr. President will ride on the Metro line.”
Gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen are currently invading some communities in the Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State.
According to sources, the herdsmen armed with AK-47 rifles stormed the community around 04:15pm on Thursday.
“Our lives are in danger this evening, armed Fulani herdsmen, about 600 in numbers have taken over our communities this evening,” a resident told SaharaReporters.
“They’re currently moving around towns in Ukum Local Government Area of Benue state. No security personnel at all, Governor Alia didn’t send security, they said operation will start soon once they (herders) have observed the place.”
The insecurity situation in Benue has been alarming in recent weeks with attacks from gunmen suspected to be herdsmen.
The media had reported that suspected herdsmen again unleashed terror in Benue State, attacking three communities in Otukpo Local Government Area (LGA) on Wednesday, just a day after 11 people were killed in a deadly raid on Otobi community.
The latest victims of the escalating violence were Emichi, Odudaje, and Okpamaju, communities that had previously suffered an attack in February, which left five people dead.
However, the renewed attack has created fear and mass displacement among residents, with women and children fleeing to safety.
Local sources say the death toll from the fresh attack remains unclear, but several casualties are feared.
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