A Federal High Court in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, has granted bail to rights activist and legal practitioner Dele Farotimi.
The bail, granted on Monday morning, was set at ₦50 million with a surety providing the same amount. The surety is also required to present a landed property as collateral.
The court’s decision was revealed by Omoyele Sowore, the 2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), via his X handle on Monday.
“The first hurdle was crossed. #DeleFarotimi was granted bail of N50 million surety in the like sum with someone with landed property. The case was adjourned to January 29, 2025,” he wrote.
Channels Television learnt that Festus Emiri (SAN) led the defence team before the FHC on Monday.
UPDATE: The farcical trial of citizen @DeleFarotimi continues tomorrow at the Magistrate Court in Ado-Ekiti over a non-existent offense in Ekiti law books. We’ve asked the State Attorney General of Ekiti State to discontinue the trial immediately. #FreeDeleFarotimiNow… pic.twitter.com/EqMbWAJAeN
— Omoyele Sowore (@YeleSowore) December 9, 2024
Additional bail conditions set by the court require the surety to reside in Ekiti State and possess three years of tax clearance, along with ownership of a property within the state.
The surety must deposit the property’s title deed with the court registrar and submit four recent passport photographs, along with the defendant, Dele Farotimi. Additionally, Farotimi is required to surrender his passport to the registrar.
These conditions follow a fresh 12-count charge filed by the police last Friday at the Federal High Court, Ado-Ekiti. This development came three days after his arraignment on an initial 16-count charge of criminal defamation at a Chief Magistrate Court in Ado-Ekiti, where Farotimi, 56, pleaded not guilty.
In Count 1 of the first charge, Farotimi is alleged to have on 28th August 2024 knowingly and intentionally transmitted communication in an online interview and restated information published in his book titled: “Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System” wherein he stated in the interview that: “Aare Afe Babalola corrupted the judiciary” which information he knew to be false information to cause a breakdown of law and order thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 24(1) (b) of Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act 2015 as amended.