On December 29, 2023, Dele Farotimi, a human rights lawyer, made a post on X, stating that he was working on a book. A year later, Farotimi faced multiple defamation charges and an Abuja court had ordered security agencies to clamp down on the book.
He made the post while responding to an original post that had earlier been made by an X user known as Dr Ayo.
Dr Ayo, in his post, had questioned the saying that public figures and leaders who symbolised oppression should not be spoken ill of once dead.
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Don’t speak ill of the dead”.But the dead was actively killing and squandering your future while he was alive.If you were afraid of him when he was alive, now that he is dead you are still afraid?Some of people will remain unfortunate for the rest of their lives because…— Dr Ayo (@OluAyoola7D) December 28, 2023
“Don’t speak ill of the dead. But the dead was actively killing and squandering your future while he was alive,” Dr Ayo wrote in part.
“If you were afraid of him when he was alive, now that he is dead you are still afraid? Some people will remain unfortunate for the rest of their lives because they are mute.”
Responding to the post, Farotimi wrote:
I am planning a book. I intend to title it; The Libelous Obituaries. I want to write about some men whilst they are still alive. I need them to be able to sue me for libel in their lifetime. I don’t want anyone bleating about not speaking ill of the dead. Nonsense..🙄 https://t.co/Uy0g8PxxDw— Dele Farotimi. A victim of Nigeria (@DeleFarotimi) December 28, 2023
“I am planning a book. I intend to title it; The Libellous Obituaries.
“I want to write about some men whilst they are still alive. I need them to be able to sue me for libel in their lifetime.
“I don’t want anyone bleating about not speaking ill of the dead. Nonsense.”
Farotimi later released a book on July 2, and instead of The Libellous Obituaries, he titled it Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System.
READ ALSO: Abuja Court Mandates DSS, Police to Seize Farotimi’s Book From Distributors
Since the release of the 116-page book, however, Farotimi has been accused of defamation by Afe Babalola, a seasoned legal practitioner.
The human rights lawyer was subsequently arrested in a Gestapo-like manner at his Lagos office by a group of policemen attached to the Ekiti State Police Command on December 2, and then transported to Ekiti State.
Apart from the defamation charges initially brought against Farotimi at an Ekiti State Magistrate court by Babalola’s team, Kayode Egbetokun, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), filed 12 additional charges against Farotimi at an Ekiti Federal High Court on December 6.
READ ALSO: UPDATED: IGP Files 12 More Charges Against Farotimi
An Abuja High Court has also ordered multiple security agencies in the country to seize physical copies of the book from all bookstands and stores nationwide.
The court also temporarily restrained Farotimi from “further publishing, selling, circulating, advertising, or distributing the physical/ hard/ digital/ soft copies of the book online, electronically, physically or by any other means.”
The post ‘I Want to Write About Some Men Whilst They Are Still Alive’ — Farotimi’s X Post on Targeted Book appeared first on Foundation For Investigative Journalism.