Following Dele Farotimi’s arrest over the alleged defamation of legendary lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Aare Afe Babalola in a book he authored, Amazon has listed the book ‘Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System’, as its number one bestseller in global politics.
The book climbed to the top of Amazon’s rankings on Thursday evening. A bestseller is a book or other product that sells in very large numbers.
The demand for Mr Farotimi’s on global platforms like Amazon followed a similar rush to bookstores across Nigeria, where citizens were curious to learn its content.
The surge in demand on global platforms like Amazon mirrored a rush to bookstores across Nigeria, as citizens sought to uncover the book’s controversial content.
Farotimi’s arrest on Tuesday, reportedly on orders by Babalola, fueled interest in the book.
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The 93-year-old senior lawyer alleged being accused in the book of compromising Nigeria’s judiciary.
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The book, published in July 2024, critiques systemic corruption in Nigeria’s judiciary and highlights specific instances of alleged misconduct by legal figures. Farotimi, a retired lawyer based in Lagos, used the book to criticise corruption in the Nigerian judiciary and specifically namechecked Mr Babalola as one of the top offenders.
Although the book recorded low sales initially, Farotimi’s arrest ignited public curiosity and propelled it to bestseller status.
The author was detained by armed policemen in Lagos on Tuesday and transported to Ado Ekiti, about 300 kilometres northeast of the city, where Babalola is a prominent figure.
Dele Farotimi was arraigned in Ekiti on Wednesday, with a judge ordering his remand pending a bail hearing on December 10.
The detention has sparked public outrage, with Nigerians demanding Farotimi’s release while railing against the old Senior Advocate of Nigeria, who is widely adjudged the most influential private citizen in Ekiti State.
