Kehinde Ogunwumiju, managing partner of Afe Babalola & Co., is suing Dele Farotimi for alleged false and defamatory statements in his book ‘Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System’.
In the suit filed on December 6, the senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN) asked the court to stop the publication and sale of the book at all physical and online bookstores.
The claimant is also asking for N500 million in damages.
“An order of interlocutory injunction restraining the defendant/respondent, whether acting by himself, his staff, employees, servants, privies, representatives, agents, publishers, distributors, sellers, re-publishers, re-sellers, or any other person howsoever described including Amazon Online Bookstore, Rovingheights Bookstore, Booksellers Bookstore, Jazzhole Lagos Bookstore, Glendora Bookshop, Quintessence Lagos Bookstore and Patabah Books Limited from further publishing, selling, circulating, advertising, or distributing the physical/hard/digital/soft copies of the book authored by the Defendant/Respondent titled: ‘Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System’, online, electronically, physically or by any other means including social media, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit,” the suit reads.
Ogunwumiju also asked the court for an order for the seizure of the copies of the book wherever they may be found, adding that Farotimi should also apologise in two national newspapers.
“An order of interlocutory injunction directing the seizure of all physical copies of the book authored by the Defendant/Respondent titled: ‘Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System’, wherever they may be found including at Rovingheights Bookstore, Booksellers Bookstore, Jazzhole Lagos Bookstore, Glendora Bookshop, Quintessence Lagos Bookstore and Patabah Books Limited worldwide by the Nigerian Police Force, State Security Service, and Nigeria Security,” he added.
Last Tuesday, Farotimi was arrested by the Ekiti police command over alleged defamation and cyberbullying.
The activist was accused of spreading false information against Babalola. Subsequently, the inspector-general of police filed a 12-count charge bordering on cybercrime against Farotimi.
On Monday, Farotimi was granted bail on the cybercrime charges. On Tuesday, Farotimi returned to the magistrate court in Ekiti for arraignment over alleged Defamation.
