Following Babalola’s petition to the police commissioner in Ekiti State that Farotimi defamed him in a book titled ‘Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System’, the police arrested the activist lawyer and arraigned him before two courts in Ekiti.
Consequently, Farotimi stood trial for alleged criminal defamation before an Ekiti State Magistrate Court, Ado Ekiti District, and for alleged cyber-bullying before the Ado Ekiti Division of the Federal High Court.
But speaking at ABUAD after the intervention of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, and other top traditional rulers at the midnight meeting, Babalola said he had agreed to withdraw the criminal case, saying, he would tell his lawyers to withdraw the case.
Babalola, who restated the importance of the Yoruba traditional institution and its influence, said the monarchs have appealed to him over the criminal charge.
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The senior advocate said that he felt so bad that Farotimi accused him of winning all his cases through corruption; hence, he rejected all earlier appeals to him to take the cases out of court.
He listed those who had appealed to him to take the matter out of court including former President Olusegun Obasanjo; the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Mathew Kukah; and the Ewi of Ado Ekiti, Oba Adejugbe.
The Ooni, who spoke on behalf of Yoruba monarchs, had requested Babalola to withdraw the case in court, assuring him that nobody can tarnish your name and that his name is more than silver and gold as he has stood for his name with the message that nobody can joke with his name.
Ogunwusi, who acknowledged Babalola’s contributions to the development of Yoruba, Nigeria, and the world, said he and other monarchs were there to discuss the matter with him, adding he gave full respect to the obas and agreed.
Also in attendance were the Chairman, Ekiti State Council of Traditional Rulers and the Olojudo of Ido Ekiti, Oba Ayorinde Ilori-Faboro; the Ewi of Ado Ekiti, Oba Adeyemo Adejugbe; the Ajero of Ijero Ekiti, Oba Joseph Adewole; the Ogoga of Ikere Ekiti, Oba Adejimi Adu; the Oloye of Oye Ekiti, Oba Michael Ademolaju; and the Alaaye of Efon Ekiti, Oba Emmanuel Aladejare.