Following the arrest of activist and lawyer Dele Farotimi, Doyin Odebowale, a seasoned legal practitioner and classics lecturer at the University of Ibadan, weighed in with a blistering critique of reactions from members of the “Obidient Family.”
His commentary did not mince words, targeting what he called the “jaundiced opinions” circulating online.
“It is interesting to read jaundiced opinions of members of the ‘Obidient Family’ on the indiscretion of one of the spokespersons of the dazzling mirage mistaken as a Movement,” Odebowale remarked, taking aim at the polarized discourse that erupted after Farotimi’s detention.
Odebowale criticized self-styled social media legal analysts, particularly those claiming libel is purely a civil matter. “The Facebook lawyers started by misleading the public to believe that libel is only civil,” he noted. He highlighted that when confronted with evidence proving criminal libel, these commentators pivoted to questioning jurisdiction, arguing that the alleged defamation occurred in Lagos, not Ekiti State.
He addressed this claim, stating, “When told that the nonagenarian resides in Ekiti State and could not have filed a complaint outside the State where the act was discovered, the attention shifted to the Police.”
He further lambasted those suggesting the police should not be involved, remarking, “They opined that the institution ought to have been left out of the case of libel. The aggrieved should have recourse to the same system savagely pilloried by the defendant.”
Expressing dismay at the apparent disregard for the complainant’s injury, Odebowale accused critics of hypocrisy: “These characters are not bothered about the injury done to an old man.” He pointed out that the global sale of Farotimi’s book only bolsters the claim of irreparable reputational damage, adding, “The book is selling all over the world to further support the old man’s position of irreparable damage to his reputation and the need for enduring remedies.”
Odebowale warned that the book “unsubstantiated references” could expose the author to further legal troubles, stating, “Unsubstantiated references were made to some named lawyers, firms, and justices…which opens the author to multiple charges.”
He even suggested a class action could reveal deeper issues within the Nigerian Bar Association, calling its leadership “idiotic” for issuing a “hasty press statement” supporting Farotimi.
He criticized the alleged opportunism of those exploiting the situation: “Those ruled by the philosophy of grants will seize the opportunity to justify real and anticipated releases.” He dismissed the global nature of the controversy, remarking that it only increases the repercussions: “These simpletons don’t know that the wider the spread, the heavier will be the cost of indiscretion.”
In a sharp conclusion, Odebowale warned against reckless accusations: “No person will, in moments of substance-induced brashness, attack any other person without credible evidence taking liberty in licentiousness.” He dismissed the entire debacle as destined to collapse, remarking, “This whole confusion in the political family of deluded elements will fizzle out as soon as the omniscient hypocrite wades in.”
On a philosophical note, he concluded with a Latin aphorism: “Ex nihilo, nihil fit. From nothing, nothing becomes. Nothing is capable of giving provenance to anything of substance.”
