Court restrains further publication, sale of Farotimi’s book

A high court in Oyo state has issued an interim order restraining further publication or sale of Dele Farotimi’s book, ‘Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System’.

Adebayo Adenipekun, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN) with Afe Babalola & Co, filed the suit marked I/1442/2024 on Monday.

Farotimi and Dele Farotimi Publishers were listed as the first and second defendants.

M.A. Adegbola, the presiding judge, restrained the defendants and their republishers, including Amazon Online Bookstore, Rovingheights Bookstore, Booksellers Bookstore, Jazzhole Lagos Bookstore, Glendora Bookshop, Quintessence Lagos Bookstore, and Patabah Books Limited, from further publishing and selling the book.

The judge also ordered that the publication, whether hard or soft copy, must be stopped from further publication and sale through any mainstream or social media platform or any other means whatsoever, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.

The court adjourned the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction to January 7, 2025.

Last Tuesday, the Ekiti police command arrested Farotimi over alleged defamation and cyberbullying.

The activist is accused of spreading false information against Babalola.

Subsequently, the inspector-general of police filed a 12-count charge bordering on cybercrime against Farotimi.

On Monday, Farotimi was granted bail on the cybercrime charges, while on Tuesday, the lawyer was brought to the magistrate court in Ekiti for arraignment over alleged defamation.