Afe Babalola‘s law firm has petitioned the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) to remove the name of Lagos-based legal practitioner Dele Farotimi from the register of legal practitioners in Nigeria for allegedly violating certain provisions of the rules of professional conduct for lawyers.
Ola Faro, a partner in the law company, signed the 90-page appeal dated December 6, 2024, which was also included in Farotimi’s book, “Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System.”
The petition is 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 DARAMOLA SAN, OLA FARO ESQ, AND THE ENTIRE CHAMBERS OF AFE BABALOLA & CO IN HIS BOOK TITLED ‘NIGERIA AND ITS CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.”
Ola Faro, who stated that he was writing both in his capacity “and for and on behalf of the law firm of Afe Babalola & Co.”, gave a background of the facts of the case and detailed the The petition is 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 DARAMOLA SAN, OLA FARO ESQ, AND THE ENTIRE CHAMBERS OF AFE BABALOLA & CO IN HIS BOOK TITLED ‘NIGERIA AND ITS CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.”
Ola Faro, who indicated that he was writing in his capacity “and for and on behalf of the law firm of Afe Babalola & Co.” provided context for the facts of the case and described the respondent, Farotimi’s violations of professional conduct guidelines. Respondent Farotimi violated the rules of professional conduct.
The petitioners claim that Farotimi “engaged in conduct which is unbecoming of a legal practitioner by making false accusations against the Supreme Court and the legal profession.”
The petitioners further claimed that Farotimi “participated in conduct that he believes to be illegal by bribing judicial officers and having unlawful access to a judicial officer.”
“Joined his clients in committing misbehaviour and violating the law about judicial officers by gaining illicit access to one.
“Provided a service to his client that he knows has the potential to violate the law, insult, and corrupt a judicial officer.
“Knowingly made a false statement of law and facts concerning a case already decided by the Supreme Court.”
“Assisted his clients in a conduct that he knows to be illegal and fraudulent.”
“Knowingly engaged in illegal conduct in the cause of his practice as a legal practitioner.”
“Treated his fellow lawyers without respect, fairness, consideration, and dignity, allowing ill feelings between opposing clients to influence his conduct and demeanour by distorting the facts of a case in the cause of his practice as a legal practitioner.”
“Failed to observe good faith and fairness in dealing with other lawyers regarding a case already decided by the Supreme Court.”
“Conducted himself in a manner that obstructed, delayed, and adversely affected the administration of justice by taking steps to frustrate a decision of the Supreme Court for his benefit and the benefit of his client who lost at the Supreme Court.”
“Treated the court, particularly the Supreme Court without respect, dignity and honour by using uncouth, unprofessional, undignified and offensive language against the Supreme Court and the justices of the Supreme Court.”
“Made defamatory statements against judicial officers rather than making a complaint to appropriate authorities.”
“He indicated that he discussed a pending case with a judge who was trying the case in the absence of an opposing lawyer.”
The petitioners claimed: “The contravention of these rules by the Respondent (Farotimi) prompted this petition to protect the dignity of the legal profession, the dignity of the court as the temple of justice, and to uphold the standards of the legal profession.”
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They also stated that some of the statements made in Farotimi’s book are likely to set the legal profession and society on fire and that these statements were made to discredit the entire Nigerian judiciary, Justices of the Supreme Court, judges of the High Court of Lagos State, and their law firm, as well as to ridicule them within the legal profession and harm their hard-earned reputation and financial credit.
The Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) is a regulatory organisation investigating and resolving misconduct among Nigerian lawyers.
