Amazon has listed: “Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System,” a book by Nigerian author, Dele Farotimi, as a bestseller following the author’s arrest after a petition filed by Afe Babalola, a lawyer and businessman.
The book by Farotimi climbed to the top of Amazon’s rankings on Thursday.
A bestseller is a book or other product that sells in very large numbers.
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 a petition by Babalola, fueled interest in the book.
The 93-year-old Senior Advocate of Nigeria alleged being accused in the book of compromising Nigeria’s judiciary.
The book, published in July 2024, critiques systemic corruption in Nigeria’s judiciary and highlights specific instances of alleged misconduct by legal figures.
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 State on Tuesday and transported to Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, about 300 kilometres northeast of Lagos, where Babalola hails from and where he lodged his petition with the Commissioner overseeing the Ekiti State Police Command.
Farotimi was arraigned in Ekiti State on Wednesday, with a judge ordering his remand pending a bail hearing on December 10.
