Alleged defamation: We won’t allow Afe Babalola to be insulted — Profs, lawyers

Alleged defamation: We won’t allow Afe Babalola to be insulted — Profs, lawyers

Some professors and lawyers, under the aegis of
Justice4AfeBabalolaLegacy, JABL, yesterday, said with the enormous
contributions of Afe Babalola to the legal profession and the country, people
should not sit by and watch him being insulted by anyone.

 

JABL, who included Professors Adeyemi Ademowo, Ademola
Azeez, Ayodeji Emmanuel, and Mr Femi Alufa and Rotimi Opeyeoluwa, said this
while speaking with newsmen in Ibadan on the case between Afe Babalola and Mr
Dele Farotimi.

 

According to them, being a human rights activist is not a
license to make unsubstantiated allegations.

The Convener and Publicity Secretary of the group, Messrs
Alufa and Rotimi Opeyeoluwa explained that they wanted justice to be served to
both parties at the end of the case.

 

Describing Afe as a man who achieved what he has today through
a dint of hard work, they said, “at 96, we will not sit by and watch somebody
turn around what this man has achieved through hard work.

When asked how to undo the possible damage the published
book might have done, they said since the court has banned its sale, it will be
criminal for anyone to cite the book.

 

They said: “Nobody worth his salt will cite the book because
it’s not predicated on fact. One thing I have discovered in Nigeria is that we
have a generation of people who become resentful of you when you are
successful. Until the determination of the case, I won’t engage in any beer
parlour rumour.”

 

They justified their stance on the case: “Afe has produced
more SANs, and lawyers than anyone has produced in this country. We want the
world to know that we believe in this man.

 

If we have the resources, we can go throughout the country
to tell them that Afe does not represent what this man said he is.”

 

They faulted the claims of those who say that libel should
be treated as a civil matter and not a criminal case as being charged.

 

The supporters of Afe Babalola said he reserves the right to
sue for criminal libel and that it’s the court that will decide.

 

“In some states in this country, libel is both Civil and
criminal. I think it’s civil in Edo and Abuja. People who say it’s a civil
matter are mere liars. We have emergency lawyers and the only thing they have
in common with the Law profession is their ability to spell Law. They don’t
know anything about the Law.

 

“If Chief Afe says he wants to pursue it as a criminal
defamation, it is his right. You can’t dictate to a lawyer how you want his
case to be remedied. As long as it’s not extrajudicially pursued, he has the
rights.

 

“In this country, some things we call human rights activism
are not. Human rights must not negate another person’s rights. Justice must be
served Farotimi and it must be served Chief Afe Babalola,” they stated.

Source: Alleged defamation: We won’t allow Afe Babalola to be insulted — Profs, lawyers

 - NigerianEye

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