•Afenifere lauds nonagenarian lawyer for heeding monarchs’ plea

AdedayoAkinwalein Abuja and GbengaSodeindein Ado Ekiti

Following the intervention of the Ooni of Ife, Oba AdeyeyeOgunwusi, the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adejugbe, and other prominent traditional rulers, the founder of AfeBabalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), AfeBabalola (SAN), has dropped his criminal suits against human rights activist, Dele Farotimi.

Babalola disclosed this at a press conference jointly addressed by himself and Ogunwusi on behalf of other prominent Yoruba traditional rulers in Ado-Ekiti on Sunday evening.

The other prominent Yoruba traditional rulers at the conference were the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Adejugbe; Olojudo of Ido-Ekiti, Oba IloriFaboro; the Ogoga of Ikere-Ekiti, Oba AdejimiAlagbado, and the Oloye of Oye-Ekiti, Oba Michael Ademolaju.

The legal luminary said he decided to drop the criminal defamation charges against the Lagos-based activist following the intervention of the Ooni of Ife, and other prominent traditional rulers in the country.

Farotimi had published a book titled: “Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System,” where he alleged that the elder statesman corrupted the judiciary.

Babalola said he had ignored interventions from different monarchs and personalities within and outside the country, but had to yield to the appeals of the traditional institutions, adding that the statement of an Oba in Yoruba tradition from time immemorial was a command.

He said: “I rejected an oil block and defended the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) law and also rejected ministerial nominees twice, wondering why anyone would just wake up and try to rubbish all he had laboured for. I have nothing to gain from his imprisonment, I am happy each time I give”.

Also addressing journalists, the Ooni of Ife appealed to Babalola to consider the various forces and personalities that had intervened in the matter.

The monarch who led the other prominent Ekiti traditional rulers to ABUAD, praised Babalola after the meeting with him, commending his contribution to the development of the Yoruba race and the world at large.

“We all came together to discuss the matter with him and he gave all the full respect to the Obas and agreed to drop the charges,” the monarch said.

He added that the Obas can attest to the hard work of Babalola and how he has invested so hard to build his name and that it cannot be tarnished and rubbished by anyone.

“Dele Farotimi is your son. We gave birth to different children in this world and as elders when our children offend us as Yoruba we spank and we also pardon such a child,”  the Ife monarch stressed.

Meanwhile, the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural and socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has commended the legal luminary  for demonstrating some ethos of Omoluabi by respecting the wishes of foremost Yoruba kings in respect of the defamation case he filed against  Farotimi.

Afenifere, in  a statement yesterday by its factional National Publicity Secretary, JareAjayi said the coming of the Ile Ife monarch, in company with other prominent Yoruba Obas, however, left Babalola with no choice than to succumb to the appeal by the royal fathers.

Afenifere noted: “By so doing, Aare AfeBabalola 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 (case). This is highly commendable. “

It said the action of Babalola has further demonstrated the valuable roles that our Obas, who are the  custodians of culture and tradition can play in the society, if given the chance.

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