Dele Farotimi’s Arrest Propels His Book on Nigerian Judiciary to Amazon’s #1 Bestseller Spot

Image: PG

Dele Farotimi’s book, Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System, has surged to the top of Amazon’s global politics bestseller list following his dramatic arrest by armed policemen in Lagos earlier this week.

The book, which critiques corruption in Nigeria’s judiciary, specifically implicates senior lawyer and businessman Afe Babalola in eroding judicial integrity.

Though initially seeing slow sales after its release in July 2024, the book gained immense popularity in the wake of Mr. Farotimi’s detention on Tuesday.

According to our source, this arrest has fueled global curiosity and led to a spike in both online orders and physical sales across Nigeria. The book now ranks ahead of globally acclaimed works like Why Nations Fail.

Explosive Allegations

In the book, Mr. Farotimi accused Mr. Babalola of “compromising the Supreme Court” and being a key figure in fostering corruption within Nigeria’s judicial system. He alleges that Babalola influenced court rulings through bribes and exerted undue pressure on judges at all levels of the judiciary.

Babalola, a 93-year-old legal luminary and businessman, has long faced public criticism for wielding outsized influence over the Nigerian judicial process. Although he has consistently denied such allegations, the claims in Mr. Farotimi’s book echo long-standing suspicions within the legal community and beyond.

The Arrest and Public Backlash

Mr. Farotimi’s arrest on defamation charges has drawn widespread outrage. Armed policemen reportedly transported him from Lagos to Ado Ekiti, where Babalola holds significant sway as Ekiti State’s largest employer. Following his arraignment on Wednesday, Farotimi was remanded in custody pending a December 10 bail hearing.

The charges against him include allegations that his book could “cause fear and alarm to the public or disturb the public peace.” However, critics have described the arrest as an attack on free speech, accusing Babalola of leveraging his influence to suppress dissent.

Global and Local Outcry

The detention has sparked a wave of condemnation on social media, with Nigerians demanding Mr. Farotimi’s release. Public sentiment has overwhelmingly turned against Babalola, with many accusing him of using his wealth and connections to silence critics.

The incident has inadvertently amplified the book’s message, bringing renewed scrutiny to the Nigerian judiciary and fueling calls for judicial reform. As Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System tops global bestseller charts, it has become a symbol of resistance against corruption and a rallying point for advocates of transparency and accountability in governance.

This unfolding saga underscores the potent interplay between activism, censorship, and public discourse in the fight against systemic corruption.

Source: PG

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