The law firm of Afe Babalola & Co. has petitioned the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC), urging the removal of the name of human rights lawyer and activist Dele Farotimi from the roll of Nigerian legal practitioners.
In the 90-page petition dated December 6, 2024, and signed by Ola Faro, a partner at the law firm, Farotimi was accused of violating multiple provisions of the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners (2023). The petition alleged that Farotimi’s conduct, including his accusations against members of the judiciary and senior lawyers, has brought the legal profession into disrepute.
The petition, titled “Petition against Tomilola Titus Farotimi (also known as Dele Farotimi Esq),” outlined Farotimi’s alleged violations of specific rules, including Rules 1, 15, 26, 27, 30, and 31 of the Rules of Professional Conduct.
Faro stated that the infractions stemmed from Farotimi’s book, ‘Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System’, in which he allegedly made unfounded allegations of corruption against prominent members of the judiciary, including Supreme Court justices, judges of the Lagos State High Court, and senior lawyers such as Aare Afe Babalola, SAN, and Olu Daramola, SAN.
The petition accused Farotimi of engaging in misconduct, including, making defamatory and false statements about judicial officers, participating in illegal activities, including alleged bribery of judicial officers, using offensive language against the judiciary in a manner deemed disrespectful and undignified, knowingly assisting clients in illegal conduct and providing services that could disrupt the administration of justice and engaging in unprofessional behaviour that obstructed or delayed court processes.
Faro noted that Farotimi allegedly “indicated he discussed a pending case with a judge in the absence of opposing counsel,” which he said was a serious violation of legal ethics.
LEADERSHIP recalls that Farotimi’s controversial book has been at the center of multiple legal disputes. A Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja and the Oyo State High Court have barred the publication, sale, and distribution of the book, both in hard and soft copies.
According to the petition, statements in the book “have the potential to inflame the legal profession and society” and were made to “discredit the judiciary, subjecting its members to ridicule and damaging their hard-earned reputation and financial standing.”
Farotimi was recently arrested and arraigned separately before the Federal High Court in Ekiti State and a Magistrates’ Court, Ado-Ekiti, on charges of defamation and cyberbullying. The charges were based on a petition by Afe Babalola, SAN, alleging that the book defamed him and other senior advocates by accusing them of corrupting Supreme Court justices.
Following his arraignment, Farotimi was remanded in prison pending further proceedings.
In the petition, Faro emphasised the importance of addressing Farotimi’s alleged violations to “protect the dignity of the legal profession, uphold the standards of the judiciary, and preserve the integrity of the court as the temple of justice.”
The LPDC was expected to review the petition and determine whether disciplinary action, including the removal of Farotimi’s name from the roll of legal practitioners, was warranted.