₦airaland Forum

The order is over the alleged defamation content in the book against legal luminary, Afe Babalola, SAN.

The Managing Director of Glendora Bookshop Ikeja, Lagos State, has reportedly instructed the withdrawal of all the copies of "Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System" book written by human rights lawyer, Dele Farotimi, from its bookshelves across its stores nationwide, SaharaReporters has learnt.

The staff said the directive was in compliance with an order of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which issued an injunction restraining further production and distribution of "Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System", the book written by human rights lawyer, Dele Farotimi.

The order is over the alleged defamation content in the book against legal luminary, Afe Babalola, SAN.

A staff who spoke to SaharaReporters on Wednesday confirmed the directive, adding "the owner of the Glendora Bookshop has directed that we should remove the book from the shelves immediately and return to the publishers. As we speak all the copies of the book have been removed from our shelves. In short we don't have any copy left in our store now."


The book has been a topic of heated debate due to its allegations of judicial manipulation and recently became a global bestseller in the politics category on Amazon platform.

SaharaReporters had reported that armed police officers arrested Farotimi at his office in Lagos State on 3 December, and took him to Ekiti, more than 300km.

On the following day he was arraigned before a Magistrate Court in Ado-Ekiti for alleged criminal defamation of legal luminary, Afe Babalola, SAN, in the book, "Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System".

The book accused Babalola of manipulating the judiciary to secure favourable rulings for his clients.

The allegations have not only attracted significant public interest but have also put the legal icon in the spotlight with growing condemnation for his use of the police to harass Farotimi.

However, the court order was requested and obtained by Afe Babalola, and demands that all sales and distribution of the book, both physical and digital copies, be stopped immediately.

In the suit No. CV/5372/24 filed before the court by Kehinde Ogunwumiju, SAN, the Head of Afe Babalola’s law firm, and dated December 6, 2024, the Plaintiff also sought a directive to seize any royalties generated from the book's sales.

The court granted an interlocutory injunction restraining Farotimi and all affiliated parties from further distributing the book.

A court ruling on Farotimi’s bail application on Tuesday was adjourned to December 20, leaving the lawyer in custody for another 10 days.

Nigerian human rights activist and 2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has criticised the prolonged judicial actions and abuse of power against human rights lawyer, Dele Farotimi, over defamation claims.

Sowore also criticised the Monday meeting between former Labour Party's presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and legal luminary, Afe Babalola, where Obi "begged" for Farotimi, noting that such gesture had only brought 10 more days of detention for the human rights lawyer.

A court ruling on Farotimi’s bail application on Tuesday was adjourned to December 20, leaving the lawyer in custody for another 10 days.

Farotimi, an outspoken advocate for social justice, was remanded on defamation charges.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, Sowore lambasted Labour Party’s Peter Obi for appealing to legal luminary, Afe Babalola on Farotimi’s behalf.

“See what begging has done,” Sowore wrote, implying that such actions undermine the fight against systemic judicial oppression.

"The ruling on @delefarotimi's bail application was today adjourned till December 20.
"Dele Farotimi has been sent back to prison for the next 10 days. See what begging has done? " Sowore said.

Sowore had on Monday condemned Obi for reportedly pleading with Afe Babalola, SAN, the legal luminary involved in Farotimi's detention, asserting that it was "colossal injustice" to the fight against judicial corruption.

Sowore, in a statement posted Monday on his X handle, expressed his outrage over Peter Obi's visit to Afe Babalola, who allegedly used the Nigerian police to abduct Farotimi from Lagos to Ekiti State, detaining him on charges related to cybercrime.

Sowore argued that Obi's actions were a setback to efforts aimed at eliminating judicial corruption in Nigeria, likening it to a betrayal of justice.

He compared Obi's behaviour to forcing Rosa Parks to return to the back of the bus during the American civil rights struggle, a powerful metaphor underscoring Sowore's condemnation of Obi's intervention in the case.