Court grants Dele Farotimi N30 million bail with ‘gag order’

A magistrate court in Ado-Ekiti set the bail conditions for activist Dele Farotimi as follows:

* A cash deposit of N30 million
* Two guarantors who must own properties or equivalent assets

The court also imposed a gag order on Mr Farotimi, who has been in detention since he was seized from his Lagos home by the police on a defamation complaint from senior lawyer Afe Babalola earlier this month.

Mr Farotimi’s case has continued to draw nationwide and international uproar, with many citing it as the most egregious abuse of power under President Bola Tinubu, who promised to respect constitutional rights as president.

Mr Farotimi was rolled into court by a large contingent of police and other security forces on Friday morning.

The decision to grant him bail came within an hour after the matter was called.

The activist, whose book exposing the corrupt practices of Mr Babalola in Nigeria’s judiciary has gained global bestselling, was ordered to surrender his passport as a condition of his bail.

This decision has drawn criticism from other social commentators, such as Omoyele Sowore.

Details soon…