RIGHTS activist and author of a controversial book, Mr Dele Farotimi, has denied insinuations that he enlisted the Leader of the Labour Party and the party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Mr Peter Obi to help reach a rapprochement with his traducer, Chief Afe Babalola (SAN).
Mr Farotimi is presently held in Ekiti Correctional Facility on the order of an Ekiti State Magistrate Court following his arraignment and not guilty plea to charges of criminal defamation levied against him by the Nigeria Police Force based on a petition by Aare Babalola.
Chef Babalola in his petition to the police alleged that Mr Farotimi, in his book, Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System, maligned him and did incalculable damage to his reputation when he alleged that he (Babalola) bribed justices of the Supreme Court to get favourable judgment in a case he and Farotimi featured in.
However, a recent visit by Mr Peter Obi to Chief Afe Babalola sparked speculation that it was to appease the proprietor of Afe Babalola University and explore an out-of-court settlement on behalf of Farotimi. However, Farotimi has denied making such a request.
During the Sunday edition of Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, Farotimi’s lawyer, Temokun, revealed that Farotimi, during a prison visit on Friday, expressed that he had not sought Obi’s intervention or requested any appeals to Babalola.
He said, “I visited Mr Dele Farotimi in a correctional service in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, yesterday (Saturday) afternoon.
“The events of the recent days; the visit of Mr Peter Obi, the (2023) presidential candidate of the Labour Party, to Aare Afe Babalola; his visit to Mr Dele Farotimi, created some lack of clarity; people are not so clear about some things; people are not clear about what is going on. It is based on this that I had to visit him yesterday, and we sat together and had a good discussion.
“After Peter Obi left Ekiti, the news that filtered through the town to the issue of the conditions for release, the issue of apology, the issue of whether Mr Dele Farotimi can do this or that to come out.
“I told him (Farotimi): the reason why I am here is to confirm from you, ‘What do you think should be done?’ The visit of Mr Peter Obi to you in person and the subsequent visit to Aare Afe Babalola: What do you know about it? What is your message to Aare Afe Babalola? What is your message to the people outside? What is also your message to me as part of your legal team?
“He (Farotimi) said that anybody who is very familiar with his antecedents, with his principles, with his philosophy over time should join anybody to believe that in a matter where he had written a book that he had published and that had been in circulation, that if anybody, somebody who has a brain should join others to believe that he has sent anybody to beg anybody, he said he will be so disappointed in that person.
“He told me categorically that even you, Tope if you join anybody to believe that I could beg anybody or that I have sent anybody to beg anybody, I will be so disappointed in you.”
Temokun stated that Farotimi remains in high spirits and views the truth as his only weapon in the struggle.
Eighteen-Eleven Media