Justice Peter Kekemeke granted the interim order in an ex parte application filed by the claimant, the managing partner at Afe Babalola's law firm, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Kehinde Ogunwumiju.

The court order was granted pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction filed and dated December 6, 2024.

The judge ruled that Farotimi whether acting by himself or his representatives, is prohibited from from further publishing, selling, circulating, advertising, or distributing the physical/hard/digital or soft copies of the book.

Justice Kekemeke also temporarily restrained the agents, publishers, distributors, sellers, re-publishers, re-sellers, or any other person howsoever described, including Dele Farotimi Publishers, Amazon Online Bookstore, Rovingheights Bookstore, Booksellers Bookstore, Jazzhole Lagos Bookstore, Glendora Bookshop, Quintessence Lagos Bookstore and Patabah Books Limited from further publishing, selling, circulating, advertising, or distributing the physical/hard/digital/soft copies of the book online, electronically, physically or by any other means including social media.

The court equally granted an order of interim injunction directing the seizure of all physical copies of the defendant's book wherever they may be found including the aforementioned platforms by the Nigerian Police Force, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corp (NSCDC) and all other security agencies.

The court stressed that the seizure order would subsist until the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction dated and filed on December 6, 2024.

Furthermore, the court instructed all the relevant agencies mentioned in the second relief should file an affidavit demonstrating that they have complied with the orders of the court within 72 hours of their receipt of the order of the court.

Farotimi faces another legal hurdle in Oyo

In a similar development, a High Court in Oyo State granted an interim order restraining Farotimi or any person action him from continued printing of the book titled: 'Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System.'

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Justice Mufutau Adegbola, who granted the interim order at the instance of a senior partner in the law firm of Afe Babalola, Adebayo Adenipekun (SAN), directed the other side to be put on notice.

Justice Adegbola granted the order in the interim after listening to Chukwudi Maduka Esq who appeared for the SAN.

The motion on notice for interlocutory injunction was then adjourned to January 7, 2025.

Adenipekun had approached the court via an ex parte application dated December 9th on behalf of the firm.