For the first time since the controversy on defamation of the legal luminary by Activist Dele Farotimi, the Chambers of Afe Babalola has issued a formal press statement thanking everyone who have shown concern.
However, the Chambers justified the need for court action concerning the alleged defamation, saying it is the best option today and tomorrow.
It noted that in the end, it is only the law that would matter and not media tactics or street yelling, declaring that freedom to speak is not freedom from consequence of speech.
In a statement by Adebayo Adenipekun Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, and seen on Sunday, December 8, by The Daily Crucible, the chambers “appreciates everyone who has telephoned, messaged, defended, and identified with us concerning the attempt by one Mr. Dele Farotimi to tarnish the hard-earned reputation which we have built over several decades.”
Adenipekun said in the statement that if the statement by the author had not been responded to, as some people would have preferred, “our silence will necessarily be interpreted as an admission of guilt.”
The statement reads further: “We acknowledge several concerns and suggestions on this subject, and the inference that the Firm and its members would be better served by ignoring these published falsehoods. However, if we do not take any action to correct the false, reckless and malicious statements by this author, our silence will necessarily be interpreted as an admission of guilt.”
“Afe Babalola & Co is a law-abiding organisation that operates strictly within the law. We are aware of the implications of the steps we are taking and the possibility of spin and manipulation by this author, his acolytes, uninformed members of the public and others who like him view us maliciously.
“Still, we are convinced that the legal steps we take now and in the future are the only way to address the falsity of the author’s allegations and hold him to account for this deliberate assault on the integrity and reputation that our Founder, Aare Afe Babalola, OFR, CFR, SAN, LLD has built and passed on to us over the past seven decades using nothing but hard work, legal knowledge, and trenchant advocacy.
“The constitution recognises Fundamental Human Rights and our Firm has championed these rights in over sixty years of its existence.
However, these rights are not absolute. The freedom to speak is not freedom from consequence of speech. And the subject of speech also has a fundamental right to hold the speaker accountable using lawful means
“Since the matter is sub judice, we do not intend to join issues in the media on the merits of our complaints or the strength of evidence against Mr. Farotimi. Unlike him, we believe in the justice delivery system every time – not only when it favours us. In six decades of litigating cases across Nigeria, we have encountered several lawyers who prevailed against us in court. Their existence disproves Mr Farotimi’s wild accusations and indicates that at the end of this process, only the law will matter – not media tactic or street yelling”, the statement concluded.
