The Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) has dismissed a petition filed by Afe Babalola & Co., the law firm of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Afe Babalola, seeking the disbarment of lawyer Dele Farotimi. The petition stemmed from Farotimi’s book, Nigeria and the Criminal Justice System, which heavily criticizes Babalola and his law firm.

Afe Babalola & Co. accused Farotimi of violating the professional conduct rules for lawyers by making defamatory remarks in his book. The law firm submitted a 90-page petition alleging that the book, which discusses corruption and unethical practices within Nigeria’s judicial system, was defamatory and breached the Legal Practitioners Act.

However, the LPDC ruled that the allegations against Farotimi fell outside its jurisdiction. The committee clarified that the issues arose from Farotimi’s role as an author, not as a practicing lawyer. It stressed that grievances related to the publication should be addressed in regular courts, as it is considered intellectual property.

LPDC Chairman Isaq Bello explained that the committee’s mandate only covers professional misconduct directly related to legal practice, which was not the case here. As a result, the petition for Farotimi’s disbarment was denied.

Farotimi’s book has sparked multiple legal actions, including a criminal defamation complaint filed by Babalola with the police. The book became a bestseller on Amazon after Farotimi’s arrest. He faces charges of cybercrime and defamation in various courts, including the Chief Magistrate’s Court and Federal High Court in Ado Ekiti.

In addition to the criminal cases, two lawyers from Babalola’s firm have filed separate libel suits against Farotimi in Rivers State and the FCT High Court, the latter of which has ordered the seizure of physical copies of the book.