The law firm of Afe Babalola has submitted a
petition to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) requestingthe
removal of Dele Farotimi, from the roll of Nigerian legal
practitioners.
The petition accuses Farotimi of breaching rules of
professional conduct rules governing lawyers. The 90-page document, dated
December 6, 2024, was signed by Ola Faro, a partner at the firm.
Notably, Faro was also referenced in Farotimi’s book,
“Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System.”
The petition was titled“Petition against Tomilola
Titus Farotimi (also known as Dele Farotimi esq), a Nigerian lawyer called to
the Nigerian bar with his name on the roll of legal practitioners kept by the
Supreme Court for violation of the extant Rules of Professional Conduct for
Legal Practitioners Rules 1, 15(1), 15(2b), 15(3a), 15(3g), 15(3i), 15(3j),
26(1), 27(1), 30, 31(1), (2) and (4) of the Rules of Professional Conduct 2023
by bringing the entire judiciary in Nigeria into disrepute with his unfounded
allegations of corruption against eminent justices of the supreme court of
Nigeria, judges of high court of Lagos state, Aare Afe Babalola san, Olu
Deramola, SAN, Ola Faro esq, and the entire chambers of Afe Babalola & co
in his book titled ‘Nigeria and its criminal justice system.”
Faro, who clarified that he was writing both in his
capacity and “on behalf of the law firm of Afe Babalola & Co.”, outlined
the case’s background and detailed the alleged violations of the Rules of
Professional Conduct by Farotimi.
According to the petition, the popular human lawyer
was accused of engaging in conduct unbecoming of a legal practitioner by making
false accusations against the Supreme Court and the legal profession.
The petitioners further alleged that Farotimi
participated in unlawful conduct by bribing judicial officers and gaining
illegal access to a judicial officer.
Faro stated, “He joined his clients in committing
misconduct and breach of law with reference to judicial officers by having
unlawful access to a judicial officer. He gave service to his client which he
knows is capable of causing a breach of law and disrespect and corrupting a
judicial officer. He knowingly made a false statement of law and facts with
respect to a case already decided by the Supreme Court.
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