A group of professors and lawyers, Justice4AfeBabalolaLegacy (JABL), has come out in support of Afe Babalola, stating that he doesn’t deserve to be insulted by anyone, particularly Dele Farotimi.
They stated this during an interview with newsmen in Ibadan, on Thursday.
They argue that Babalola’s immense contributions to the legal profession and the country warrant respect.
“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 opined.
The group, which includes Professors Adeyemi Ademowo, Ademola Azeez, and Ayodeji Emmanuel, emphasised that being a human rights activist doesn’t give someone the license to make unsubstantiated allegations.
They want justice to be served to both parties in the case between Babalola and Farotimi.
JABL described Babalola as a man who achieved success through hard work and dedication. They pointed out that at 96, Babalola deserves respect, and they won’t sit back and watch someone tarnish his reputation.
Regarding the published book that allegedly defamed Babalola, JABL stated that since the court has banned its sale, citing the book would be criminal.
They emphasised that the book is not based on facts and that Babalola has produced more SANs and lawyers than anyone else in the country.
“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.”
The group also addressed claims that libel should be treated as a civil matter, not a criminal case. They argued that Babalola has the right to sue for criminal libel, and it’s up to the court to 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 added.
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