Court stops Farotimi’s book, orders police and security agencies to seize copies
On Wednesday, December 11, 2024, the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja ruled to stop Dele Farotimi, a human rights activist and lawyer, from publishing, selling, or sharing his book, Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System. The judge, Justice Peter Kekemeke, decided this after listening to a request made by Kehinde Ogunwumiju, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and managing partner at Afe Babalola’s law firm.
Justice Kekemeke also ordered that no one – including publishers, distributors, and even people sharing it on social media – could continue sharing, selling, or advertising the book, whether in physical, digital, or any other format. This order will stay in effect until the court hears more about the matter on Thursday, December 12, 2024.
Additionally, the court instructed that all physical copies of the book should be seized by the Nigerian Police, the State Security Service, and other security agencies. These agencies must confirm that they have followed the order within 72 hours.
In another court case on Wednesday, December 9, 2024, an Oyo State High Court also temporarily stopped Farotimi from printing more copies of the same book. This decision came after a request from Adebayo Adenipekun, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, who represented Afe Babalola’s law firm.
Justice Mufutau Adegbola granted this temporary order and made sure that Farotimi’s lawyers would be notified. The court will revisit the case on Monday, January 7, 2025.
