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What happens when a legal giant abandons strategy for emotion? The recent fallout between Aare Afe Babalola and Dele Farotimi offers powerful lessons in power, reputation, and restraint.
This story began with Farotimi, a lawyer and human rights activist, whose book contained statements that Babalola deemed defamatory. Rather than addressing the matter through quiet and calculated legal processes, the elder statesman chose an aggressive response. Farotimi was forcibly dragged from Lagos to Ekiti—seven hours away—under controversial circumstances. To compound matters, an Ekiti court swiftly remanded him to prison for what was a bailable offence.
Babalola could have taken a page from another Nigerian legal titan, Femi Falana. When Falana faced a libellous attack in the “Falana v. Very Dark Man” case, he approached the situation with calm precision. Rather than turning the matter into a public spectacle, he allowed the legal process to speak for him. His reputation emerged unscathed, and justice was served without unnecessary drama.
Instead, what we see is a cautionary tale. By reacting emotionally and engaging Farotimi on such disproportionate terms, Babalola amplified a minor grievance into a global spectacle. The underdog became the hero, and the master advocate appeared heavy-handed.
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