A Federal High Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, has conceded bail to rights activist and legal practitioner, Dele Farotimi.
Farotimi was conceded bail on Monday morning. The court conceded him bail for N50m with a surety in a similar sum. The guarantor must likewise provide a landed property as collateral.
The presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2023 election, Omoyele Sowore, unveiled the court’s decision via his social media handle on Monday.
“The first hurdle was crossed. Dele Farotimi was granted bail of N50 million surety in the like sum with someone with landed property. The case was adjourned to January 29, 2025,” he wrote.
Other bail conditions as conceded by the court are that the guarantor should be occupant in Ekiti and have three years of tax clearance with a property inside Ekiti.
The guarantor is to deposit the title deed of the property with the registrar of the court. She/he and the respondent must likewise submit four recent passport pictures to the court.
The respondent, Farotimi, is to likewise deposit his passport with the registrar of the court.
Previous Friday, the police documented a new 12-count charge against Farotimi, aged 56, before the Federal High Court, Ado-Ekiti.
The charge was recorded three days after his arraignment and remand on an initial 16-count charge of criminal maligning before a Chief Magistrate Court likewise in Ado-Ekiti. He had pleaded not guilty to that charge.
In Count 1 of the first charge, Farotimi is alleged to have on 28th August 2024 knowingly and intentionally transmitted communication in an online interview and restated information published in his book titled: “Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System” wherein he stated in the interview that: “Aare Afe Babalola corrupted the judiciary” which information he knew to be false information to cause a breakdown of law and order thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 24(1) (b) of Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act 2015 as revised.
