Someone asked me yesterday, CKN as a law graduate , are you saying that Chief Afe Babalola SAN has not right of redress from character assassination or defamation allegedly by Dele Farotimi My Answer With my little knowledge of Law
1. Baba Afe Babalola or any Nigerian for that matter has a right to seek redress in any court of the land if he feels his name or reputation has been brought to disrepute (in this case this, Baba is on point).
Reputation is everything in life. My only problem is the manner of arrest.
2. Was Dele Farotimi formally invited by the police to answer to the petition written against him by Chief Afe Babalola, if yes (where is the evidence?).
3. Before Farotimi can be bundled or abducted in the manner the police did, there must have been a warrant of arrest duly issued by the court after he must have refused to honour an initial invitation, if that is true, (where is the evidence?).
4. The issue of bail is neither here nor there. The offence is a bailable offence but bail is always at the discretion of the judge. (I still don’t see any reason why he wasn’t granted bail, but the judge MUST unfailingly grant him bail at the next sitting), failure to do so will be tramping on his fundamental human rights
5. During the case proper, Dele Farotimi MUST be able to prove that all he wrote about Pa Babalola in his book and the comments he made against him on some trending videos are nothing but the truth.
I have seen instances where some people have been trying to politicise Farotimi’s arrest, it has nothing to do with politics, this is pure law. Dele Farotimi is a seasoned lawyer, well vast in law, an activist and former President of Lagos State University Students Union, he cannot go the route he did without having clear cut evidence to back his allegations.
Anything short of that will be a fundamental error and judgement on his part Let Dele Farotimi have his day in court. No form of intimidation, in any manner, should be allowed.
CKN is a journalist, blogger, and Law graduate
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