Kehinde Ogunwumiju Files ₦500M Defamation Lawsuit Against Dele Farotimi
Kehinde Ogunwumiju, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, has taken legal action against lawyer and author Dele Farotimi, demanding ₦500 million in damages over alleged defamatory claims made in Farotimi’s book, Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System.
By Unini Chioma
December 10, 2024
Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Kehinde Ogunwumiju has filed a lawsuit for ₦500 million against lawyer and author Dele Farotimi, accusing him of defamation through allegations of judicial corruption outlined in Farotimi’s book, Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System.
Court documents reveal that Ogunwumiju, a partner at Afe Babalola & Co., is suing Farotimi for publishing “false, malicious, and defamatory” statements in the 2024 book. The legal action, identified as suit number FCT/HC/5372/2024, was filed at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Abuja.
Ogunwumiju, who was conferred with the SAN title in 2017 and received the national honor of Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) in 2023, asserts that Farotimi’s book falsely depicts him and his firm as unethical practitioners who bribe judges and manipulate the justice system. The suit alleges that the book accuses Afe Babalola & Co. of undermining the Supreme Court’s integrity by collaborating with corrupt lawyers and incompetent judges to “doctor” Supreme Court rulings.
In addition to seeking ₦500 million in damages, Ogunwumiju is requesting that the court order Farotimi to issue a public apology in two national newspapers and stop further distribution of the book, which is available internationally on platforms such as Amazon. He argues that the false claims have caused harm to his firm’s reputation and led to a loss of clients.
The legal filings state, “The words complained of are not only false but also malicious, reckless, and defamatory.” Ogunwumiju denies any involvement in judicial corruption and maintains that he has adhered to the highest professional standards throughout his nearly 20-year legal career, which includes representing prominent government and corporate clients.
Described in the suit as “one of the most distinguished legal minds of his generation,” Ogunwumiju is a prominent member of the Nigerian Bar Association’s executive council and a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators in the UK. He has also headed the Abuja office of Afe Babalola & Co. since 2012.
Dele Farotimi, the founder of DF Legal in Lagos, has stood by the claims made in his book, reiterating them in a Channels TV interview in August, according to the court documents. Farotimi, who is currently in court in Ekiti, has not yet responded to the lawsuit.
A hearing date for the case has not been set.
Case: Ogunwumiju v. Farotimi
Motion on Notice in Ogunwumiju v. Farotimi
