The law firm of Afe Babalola has submitted a petition to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) requesting the removal of Dele Farotimi, from the roll of Nigerian legal practitioners.
The petition accuses Farotimi of breaching rules of professional conduct rules governing lawyers. The 90-page document, dated December 6, 2024, was signed by Ola Faro, a partner at the firm.
Notably, Faro was also referenced in Farotimi’s book, “Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System.”
The petition was titled “Petition against Tomilola Titus Farotimi (also known as Dele Farotimi esq), a Nigerian lawyer called to the Nigerian bar with his name on the roll of legal practitioners kept by the Supreme Court for violation of the extant Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners Rules 1, 15(1), 15(2b), 15(3a), 15(3g), 15(3i), 15(3j), 26(1), 27(1), 30, 31(1), (2) and (4) of the Rules of Professional Conduct 2023 by bringing the entire judiciary in Nigeria into disrepute with his unfounded allegations of corruption against eminent justices of the supreme court of Nigeria, judges of high court of Lagos state, Aare Afe Babalola san, Olu Deramola, SAN, Ola Faro esq, and the entire chambers of Afe Babalola & co in his book titled ‘Nigeria and its criminal justice system.”
Faro, who clarified that he was writing both in his capacity and “on behalf of the law firm of Afe Babalola & Co.”, outlined the case’s background and detailed the alleged violations of the Rules of Professional Conduct by Farotimi.
According to the petition, the popular human lawyer was accused of engaging in conduct unbecoming of a legal practitioner by making false accusations against the Supreme Court and the legal profession.
The petitioners further alleged that Farotimi participated in unlawful conduct by bribing judicial officers and gaining illegal access to a judicial officer.
Faro stated, “He joined his clients in committing misconduct and breach of law with reference to judicial officers by having unlawful access to a judicial officer. He gave service to his client which he knows is capable of causing a breach of law and disrespect and corrupting a judicial officer. He knowingly made a false statement of law and facts with respect to a case already decided by the Supreme Court.