‘I’m Ready For War’ – Dele Farotimi Declares

Human rights activist, lawyer and author, Dele Farotimi, said he is prepared against “principalities and powers” following his release on bail.

The Federal High Court, Ado-Ekiti, had on December 9 granted him N50m bail while an Ekiti State Magistrate Court on December 20, granted him N30m bail in a separate suit, both for alleged defamation of Afe Babalola, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

In a statement on Sunday on X, Farotimi declared, “I’m ready for war”.

He said, “I am strong enough to rumble unruffled against principalities and powers, but I am human enough to retain the capacity to shed tears of joy in appreciation of the grace of God, expressed in the concerted efforts of fellow victims.

“My battle axes are newly sharpened, my guns primed, I am ready to war.

“My resolve was NEVER tested, but I was waiting for next round of the fight to commence.

“I KNEW that the first round had been lost by those responsible for my imprisonment.”

Meanwhile, Farotimi on Sunday, thanked Nigerians for their unwavering support leading to his freedom.

Speaking via his YouTube, the legal practitioner said, “We stopped being human because we became Nigerians. They divided us, and we fell for it. Because you would not see me as a Yoruba man, you spoke for me.

“You would not see me as a Christian, you spoke for me. Because you spoke, Nigeria could not happen to me. You found your voices, I became you and in our collective, we could not be silenced.”

Farotimi’s legal battles began after the release of his controversial book titled “Nigeria and Criminal Justice System”, where he was alleged to have defamaed Babalola and other judiciary personalities.

The book soon became the best-seller on Amazon after his arrest on December 3 and subsequent arraignments at both the Ekiti State High Court and the Magistrate Court, Ado-Ekiti.

Last week, the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) rejected a request by Afe Babalola to revoke his law practising licence over alleged defamation and professional misconduct.

Delivering its report, marked; B8B/LPDC/1571/2024), the LPDC held that the alleged offences occurred in Farotimi’s capacity as an author, not during his practice as a legal professional.

LPDC Chairman, Justice Isaq Usman Bello, said the body lacked jurisdiction to hear complaints about publications and advised aggrieved parties to seek redress in regular courts.

‘I’m Ready For War’ – Dele Farotimi Declares is first published on The Whistler Newspaper