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Afenifere, Obi Laud Babalola For Withdrawing Suits Against Farotimi
The decision of legal luminary, Chief Afe Babalola to withdraw the defamation and cyberbullying suits he filed against human rights activist and lawyer, Dele Farotimi has met with widespread commendations.
Biztellers reports that top among those praising Chief Babalola’s decision are the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural and socio-political organisation, Afenifere and the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party in Nigeria’s 2023 elections, Peter Obi.
They barred their minds on Monday, according to The PUNCH.
Recall that Babalola and Farotimi had been locked in a legal battle since last year, on the grounds of Babalola’s complaint that Farotimi defamed him in a book titled ‘Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System’.
ALSO READ: JUST IN: Oba Ogunwusi Prevails On Babalola To Withdraw Suit Against Farotimi
Sequel to Babalola’s petition, the Ekiti State Police Command arrested Farotimi in Lagos State and arraigned him before two courts in Ekiti.
The charges proffered against Farotimi before the Ekiti State Magistrates’ Court in Ado Ekiti and the Federal High Court in Ado Ekiti, were criminal defamation and alleged cyber-bullying, respectively.
The activist was remanded for 20 days before he could perfect his bail and regain freedom on December 24, 2024.
Biztellers reported on Monday, that Babalola, revealed his intention to withdraw the court cases against Farotimi, on the intervention of Yoruba monarchs, led by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi.
In his words, “I will tell my lawyers to withdraw the case,” Babalola said after a midnight meeting with the traditional rulers at ABUAD.
Consequently, the Afenifere issued a reaction through its National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, Afenifere, who had earlier called for Farotimi’s release.
In a statement on Monday, Ajayi commended Babalola for accepting the olive branch waved by the royal fathers.
Afenifere said that by heeding the calls of the traditional rulers “Aare Afe Babalola has demonstrated, as a true Yoruba son, certain core ethos of being an Omoluabi.
“He came to defend his reputation and when he was appealed to by our foremost traditional institutions, he dropped the gauntlet. This is highly commendable.
“We also applaud Ooni and other monarchs ‘for the bold step they took’, he stated.
‘They acted as true elders in line with the saying ‘Agba kii wa loja, ki ori omo titun wo’ – Elders would not sit-by in a marketplace to watch the dangling head of a child!’
“This act has further demonstrated the valuable roles that our Obas – who are the custodians of our culture and tradition – can play in the society, if given the chance,” he added.
In a similar vein, Obi, who had also last year visited Babalola over the matter, described Monday’s outcome as positive.
Obi spoke through his media aide, Ibrahim Umar.
The former Governor, Anambra State said, “We are pleased that this matter has been resolved amicably, and we believe that this outcome is a testament to the power of dialogue, and constructive engagement. Let me set the record straight: Obi’s visit to Afe Babalola was not about begging for pardon for Dele Farotimi, but rather a genuine effort at intervention and conflict resolution.
“As a leader, Obi recognises the importance of peaceful resolution of disputes, and his actions were guided by this principle. Now, with the news that Afe Babalola has agreed to withdraw the suit against Dele Farotimi, we welcome this development as a positive outcome of Obi’s intervention.
“This decision demonstrates that Chief Babalola is also committed to finding peaceful solutions to conflicts, and we commend him for this gesture. It’s worth noting that Mr. Obi’s actions were driven by his desire to facilitate a peaceful resolution that would allow all parties to move forward positively and constructively,” he stated.
At the reconciliatory meeting led by the Ooni 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.
Babalola, who restated the importance of the Yoruba traditional institution and the influence it wielded, said, “The monarchs are here, they have appealed to me over a criminal charge involving somebody who said I was corrupt.”
According to Babalola, 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 also listed those who earlier 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.
He said, “If you go through the pamphlet (Farotimi’s book), you will find that he attacked many judges by names, he attacked Supreme Court judges, and none is bothered, but I am bothered. I am bothered because of where and how I started life, from the farm to where I am.
“There is nothing I am going to gain from his imprisonment, there is nothing I am going to gain from so-called damages. I am not on the quest for more wealth, but rather, how to spend what I have for the benefit of others. The only time I am happy is when I give.
“The request is simple, take away this criminal case in court. When Obasanjo wrote, he came here, I said no. When Kukah phoned and came, I said no, but on this occasion, I say yes. Thank you, Kabiyesis. I will speak to my lawyers to withdraw it.”
The Ooni, Oba Ogunwusi, who spoke on behalf of Yoruba monarchs, had requested Babalola to withdraw the case in court, assuring him that “Nobody can tarnish your name. Your name is more than silver and gold and you have stood for your name with the message that nobody can joke with your name.”
Oba Ogunwusi, who acknowledged Babalola’s contributions to the development of Yoruba, Nigeria and the world, said, “We (monarchs) came here to discuss the matter with him and he gave full respect to the obas and agreed.
“We, the obas, can attest to the hard work of Aare Afe Babalola and how he has invested so hard to build his name. The name cannot be tarnished or rubbished by anyone. Aare Afe Babalola has proven to the world that he cherishes his name and the world has heard him clearly.
“Baba, we want to appeal and also use our race to instruct you. Dele Farotimi is your son, you may not know him, we give birth to different children in this world, some are tough, some are soft, some are hard. Why we are here is our ethos as a race.
“We are using our race because some of our elders in Yorubaland and even beyond Yorubaland have spoken, but combining forces with the traditional institution, we have heard you, enough, enough and enough. Your name is intact. We have resolved the matter in our own way, we have done the needful,” the Ooni said.
The Director-General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Dr Jean Kaseya, has explained why Ebola outbreaks continue to occur in Africa, citing the need for stronger health systems and surveillance mechanisms to prevent and control the spread of infectious diseases.
Kaseya spoke during an interview on Channels Television on Thursday, October 22, while discussing recurring Ebola outbreaks on the continent and the challenges facing public health authorities.
SEE ALSO: JUST IN: Over 3,000 Dead as Ebola Outbreak Ravages DR Congo
He explained that some outbreaks originate from animals and spread to humans through contact with the environment, stressing that effective surveillance and stronger healthcare systems were necessary to address the threat.
“We are in Africa in a specific environment. And as you are saying, this outbreak is coming also from animals to humans. It means we are in contact with our environment,” he said.
“But we can avoid that if we have a strong health system in place, if we have strong surveillance mechanisms in place. And this is what we are working to address.”
The Africa CDC chief also announced plans to convene African health ministers on October 28 to discuss the Ebola Bundibugyo outbreak, which he described as the most geographically widespread outbreak of its kind.
According to Kaseya, three African regions—West, Central and East Africa—have been affected, making coordinated action among countries increasingly important.
“This is why I’m calling even a meeting on the 28th of October of all African ministers, because we see now this outbreak — this Ebola Bundibugyo outbreak — is the most geographically extended outbreak, with three regions in Africa already affected: West, Central and Eastern African regions,” he said.
He also expressed confidence in Africa’s preparedness to respond to public health emergencies, while emphasising the importance of strengthening existing systems to contain outbreaks.
Africa CDC Seeks Cooperation Over Nigeria’s Reported Ebola Case
Kaseya further called for cooperation among Nigeria, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to clarify the travel history of a woman linked to Nigeria’s reported Ebola case.
He said he had been communicating with health authorities in the three countries to establish the woman’s movements before she returned to Abuja on October 3.
According to him, the woman was born in Uganda and had spent some time there before returning to Nigeria. However, further information was needed to establish whether she had travelled through the DRC or had contact with anyone arriving from the country.
“We are talking to all authorities—with Nigerian authorities, with Ugandan authorities, even to DRC authorities,” Kaseya said.
He urged the woman to provide the relevant information to health officials, noting that it would help authorities determine the circumstances surrounding the case and support the countries involved.
“What we want is collaboration from this person, the lady. She has to tell us, to disclose to the authorities. I need this information, as Nigeria needs this information, because we need also to support Uganda,” he said.
Kaseya added that establishing the woman’s travel history and possible contacts would help prevent misunderstandings between the African countries.
“I think these are the pieces of information we are looking for, and it will help all of us, and it will avoid crisis between African countries,” he added.
A truck carrying grains fell on its side after crashing into a road median at Itowolo, along the Ikorodu axis of Lagos State, early Thursday, occupying the entire Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lane.
The incident occurred at about 5 a.m. along the route inward Agric and towards Ogolonto, according to the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), which disclosed the development on Thursday.
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The agency identified the vehicle as a white 10-tyre mini truck and confirmed that no casualties were recorded in the accident.
LASTMA said its officers were at the scene managing the situation, while recovery of the fallen vehicle was expected to commence shortly.
Despite the truck occupying the entire BRT lane, the agency said the incident was not affecting traffic flow at the time of its update.
The authority shared the information to alert motorists to the incident and its ongoing response at the scene.
The Commissioner of Police in Ogun State, Bode Ojajuni, has urged the Police Officers’ Wives Association (POWA) to transform its skills acquisition centre in Abeokuta into an industrial hub to promote job creation, entrepreneurship and women’s empowerment.
According to a statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Oluseyi B. Babas eyi, on Thursday, Ojajuni made the call on Monday when he led members of the Ogun State Police Command’s Management Team on an inspection visit to the POWA Skills Acquisition Centre at the Command Headquarters, Eleweran, Abeokuta.
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During the visit, the POWA Acting Chairperson, Bolanle Adeoye, and members of the association’s executive received the commissioner and conducted him around the facility, including its photography and make-up studios.
The centre is designed to equip POWA members and members of the public with practical vocational skills, promote entrepreneurship and create sustainable livelihood opportunities, particularly for women and young people.
Ojajuni charged POWA to leverage partnerships with government agencies, private sector organisations, manufacturers, vocational institutions and development partners to transform the facility into a thriving industrial hub.
He emphasised that the centre’s vision should go beyond skills acquisition to include enterprise development, productive ventures and employment generation.
According to the statement, the commissioner stressed the need for the initiative to create opportunities for beneficiaries to become self-reliant and contribute meaningfully to economic growth.
Ojajuni also highlighted the relationship between economic empowerment and crime prevention, noting that sustainable livelihoods could help address socio-economic factors associated with criminal activity.
He stressed that the centre could contribute to public safety through crime-prevention awareness, constructive community engagement and opportunities that encourage women and young people to pursue legitimate and productive ventures.
Commending Adeoye and the POWA Ogun State executive for their commitment to human capital development, the commissioner pledged the command’s support for the centre.
He reaffirmed the command’s readiness to encourage strategic collaboration and partnerships that would advance the facility’s development, expand its reach and strengthen its contribution to empowerment and community safety.
The Ogun State Police Command reiterated its commitment to supporting initiatives that promote productive engagement, strengthen community resilience and advance public safety across the state.
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