Even in prison Farotimi says he stands by his allegations against Afe Babalola
Attorney Tope Temokun has clarified that his client, Dele Farotimi, did not instruct a former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, to apologise to Afe Babalola (SAN), regarding the ongoing defamation case between Farotimi and Babalola.
Temokun appeared on Channels Television’s “Inside Sources with Laolu Akande” Sunday edition. Temokun addressed Farotimi’s arrest and prosecution over his book, “Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System,” alleging judicial corruption involving Afe Babalola.
Farotimi, detained since early December, maintains innocence. Temokun confirmed visiting Farotimi, stating he never authorised Peter Obi to pursue an out-of-court settlement or apology.
He said, “I visited Mr Dele Farotimi in a correctional service in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State yesterday afternoon for one purpose.
“One, we have been involved in this matter since his arrest. We have been in court; we have been following events and we also have our own stake as citizens of the country based on the fact that what is beyond persons. It is not just about persons; the country is bigger that Afe Babalola, it is bigger than Farotimi.
“The events of the recent days; the visit of Mr Peter Obi, the (2023) presidential candidate of the Labour Party to Ado-Ekiti, his visit to Aare Afe Babalola, his visit to Mr Dele Farotimi in the prison actually created some kind of unclarities.
“People are not so clear about the state of things, people are not clear about what is going on and where we are on the matter so it is on the basis of this that I had to visit him yesterday in prison, and we sat together and had a friendly discussion.
“After Peter Obi left Ekiti, the news that filtered to town was to the effect that issues of the conditions for release, the issue of apology, the issue of whether Mr Dele Farotimi is able to do this or that to come out.
“And for some of us who are involved, who have also taken a principled side on this matter, who believe that there should be justice for everyone who is involved. And that there is justice for anybody who is alleged to have been defamed and there also should be justice for Mr Dele Farotimi and there should be justice for society.
“The meeting was very productive; I told him that the reason why I was there was to confirm from you what is your state of mind, what are you thinking about this whole matter? What do you think should be done? The visit of Mr Peter Obi to you in prison 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 your message to me who is part of your legal team?
“He (Farotimi) said if anybody who is very familiar with his antecedents, with his principles, with his philosophy overtime should join anybody to believe that in a matter where he had written a book that he had published and 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.
“He said, ‘You know it is not possible.’ He said, ‘You know I have been in here, I don’t know what is going on outside. You are the one who knows what is going on outside and if you have come to this place, what I need from you is information.’”
He said he had no idea if Peter Obi visited Babalola or not and had no control over who he planned to visit.
“He (Obi) is an elder statesman too, a former presidential candidate. ‘So I don’t know his movement, I can’t predict who he is going to visit but I didn’t send him to beg anybody. And having not done that, you as a lawyer, and for those who still believe in me out there, their line of thinking should be along the line that justice should be served to all parties’.
According to the lawyer, Farotimi said there is no falsehood in his book and “that people that are fighting him are fighting the truth”.
“He said he is going to have the last laugh and I felt relieved,” Temokun said.
Credit: Sahara Reporters
