“False & Malicious”: Kehinde Ogunwumiju SAN, Sues Farotimi For ₦500 Million

“False & Malicious“: Kehinde Ogunwumiju SAN, Sues Farotimi For ₦500 Million

“False & Malicious”: Afe Babalola Law Firm Partner, Ogunwumiju SAN, Sues Farotimi For ₦500M Over Alleged Libel In Book

By Unini Chioma
December 10, 2024

Senior Advocate of Nigeria Kehinde Ogunwumiju has filed a N500 million lawsuit against lawyer and author Dele Farotimi over allegations of judicial corruption made in Farotimi’s book “Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System.”

According to court papers obtained by this newspaper, Kehinde Ogunwumiju, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and managing partner at Afe Babalola & Co, is suing lawyer and author Dele Farotimi for ₦500 million. The suit no: FCT/HC/5372/2024 , filed at the High Court of the FCT in Abuja, accuses Farotimi of making “false, mischievous and defamatory” statements in his book “Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System.”

Ogunwumiju, who was conferred with the rank of SAN in 2017 and the national honour of OFR in 2023, claims excerpts from Farotimi’s book depicted him and his law firm as unethical lawyers who bribe judges and manipulate the judicial system. The suit alleges the book, published in 2024, accuses Afe Babalola & Co of “compromising the integrity of the Supreme Court,” scheming with “crooked lawyers and incompetent justices,” and “doctoring” a Supreme Court judgment.

Beyond the monetary damages, Ogunwumiju is asking the court for an order compelling Farotimi to apologize in two national newspapers and halt further sales of the book, which is available in Nigeria and internationally on online platforms like Amazon. The senior lawyer says the book’s “false” claims have cost his firm clients and damaged his professional reputation.

“The words complained of are not only false, but also malicious, reckless and defamatory,” the court filings state. Ogunwumiju denies any wrongdoing and maintains he has never been involved in judicial corruption in his nearly two-decade legal career, which has included representing high-profile government and corporate clients.

Described in the suit as “one of the most distinguished legal luminaries of his generation,” Ogunwumiju is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association executive council, a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators UK, and has headed Afe Babalola’s Abuja office since 2012.

Farotimi, the founding partner of law firm DF Legal in Lagos, reiterated some of the book’s claims during a Channels TV interview in August, according to the suit. He could not be reached immediately for comment as he is appearing in court today in Ekiti.

A date for hearing the suit has not yet been scheduled.

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