Detained lawyer and rights activist Dele Farotimi appeared at the Chief Magistrate Court in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State on Tuesday morning for his bail hearing.
He arrived shortly before 10 am in a police security van, accompanied by correctional officials.
Mr Farotimi was arrested in Lagos following a defamation petition filed by senior lawyer Afe Babalola and was arraigned last Wednesday before Magistrate Abayomi Adeosun, who ordered his remand in a correctional facility pending hearing on December 10.
On Monday, the police arraigned Farotimi at a Federal High Court in Ado-Ekiti. The court granted him bail under stringent conditions, including a N50 million bond and a surety of equal value who must reside in Ekiti State and own landed property. Additionally, Farotimi was required to surrender his travel passport to the court.
The courtroom was filled with legal representatives from both sides.
Meanwhile, fellow human rights activist Omoyele Sowore earlier announced plans for protests in Ekiti, Lagos Abuja, and King’s College, London, on December 10, 2024, in solidarity with Farotimi. However, as of Tuesday morning in Ado-Ekiti, no visible signs of the protest had materialised.
