A Federal High Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, has granted bail to rights activist and legal practitioner, Dele Farotimi.
Farotimi was granted bail on Monday morning. The court granted him bail for ₦50m with a surety in the same amount. The surety must also provide a landed property as collateral.
The presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2023 election, Omoyele Sowore, disclosed the court’s decision 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.
Other bail conditions as granted by the court are that the surety must be resident in Ekiti and possess three years of tax clearance with a property within Ekiti.
The surety is to deposit the title deed of the property with the registrar of the court. S/he and the defendant must also submit four recent passport pictures to the court.
The defendant, Farotimi, is to also deposit his passport with the registrar of the court.
Last Friday, the police filed a fresh 12-count charge against Farotimi, aged 56, before the Federal High Court, Ado-Ekiti.
The charge was filed three days after his arraignment and remand on an initial 16-count charge of criminal defamation before a Chief Magistrate Court also in Ado-Ekiti. He had pleaded not guilty to that charge.
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.
