SAHARA REPORTERS
Human rights lawyer Dele Farotimi has disclosed that he will soon write petitions to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee, seeking to stop some lawyers from practising law in Nigeria.
The LPDC recently dismissed a request from Chief Afe Babalola’s law firm, Emmanuel Chambers, to revoke Farotimi’s law licence.
The firm had accused Farotimi of criminal defamation and professional misconduct
The allegations arose from a petition filed by Emmanuel Chambers through one of its lawyers, Mr. Ola Faro.
The petition claimed that Farotimi, in his book “Nigeria and Criminal Justice System”, made defamatory remarks about the Supreme Court and the legal profession.
Specifically, the book referenced a case (SC/146/2006) between Major Muritala Gbadamosi Eletu and HRH Oba Tijani Akinloye, alleging corruption, bribery, and unethical conduct within the judiciary and legal community.
The petition further accused Farotimi of distorting case facts, disrespecting fellow lawyers, and obstructing justice for personal benefit.
Among the grievances cited were his criticism of a Supreme Court judgment affecting several residential estates and his portrayal of subsequent legal proceedings as undermining the apex court’s decision.
Emmanuel Chambers had insisted that Farotimi’s book violated provisions of the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners 2023 and called for Farotimi’s name to be removed from the Roll of Legal Practitioners.
But LPDC in its report (B8B/LPDC/1571/2024), said the alleged offences occurred in Farotimi’s role as an author, not during his professional practice as a lawyer.
As such, the committee concluded that it lacked jurisdiction to adjudicate on matters related to publications and advised the complainants to seek redress through the regular courts.
However, in a video published on his YouTube channel on Sunday, the first of such since his release on bail following his incarceration over ongoing defamation charges, Farotimi revealed that he would also be seeking legal reliefs and redresses against everyone involved in his ‘abduction’.
According to Farotimi, he will vigorously defend himself in all the criminal and civil cases filed against him in various court across the country.
He expressed his readiness and preparedness to confront the cases head-on.
The activist declared that he is no longer a victim of the Nigerian system but now a threat.
“I will be seeking legal reliefs and redresses against everyone involved in my abduction. I shall be defending each and everyone of the many suits – civil and criminal -that have been filed against me rigorously.
“When we are done, I shall by myself be writing petitions to LDPC looking to ensure that some lawyers do not ever practise law in this country again. Let us be clear, I remain your brother, I remain Dele Farotimi Esq. SAN – Senior Accused of Nigeria, victim of Nigeria, but a conscious victim capable of articulating the conditions of the victim. I am not a victim again I am a threat…”
THIS ARTICLE ORIGINALLY APPEARED IN SAHARA REPORTERS
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