SERAP rejects court judgment ordering N100m damages over defamation suit, heads to appeal

Crime Diary

ABUJA, Nigeria (NPA) — Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has rejected a judgment of the Federal Capital Territory High Court ordering the organisation to pay N100 million in damages to officials of the Department of State Services (DSS) over alleged defamation.

Justice Yusuf Halilu, who delivered the ruling in Abuja, also directed SERAP to publish public apologies, pay N1 million as litigation costs, and a 10 per cent annual interest on the damages until the judgment sum is fully settled.

Reacting to the decision, SERAP described the ruling as “seriously flawed” and a threat to civic space and freedom of expression in Nigeria.

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The organisation said it had instructed its lawyers, including Tayo Oyetibo and Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, to immediately file an appeal against the judgment.

SERAP further described the suit as a strategic lawsuit against public participation (SLAPP), alleging that the legal action was designed to intimidate civil society organisations and discourage accountability advocacy.

The group also accused the administration of President Bola Tinubu of allegedly using defamation laws and state institutions to suppress dissenting voices.

The case originated from a September 2024 publication by SERAP alleging that DSS operatives unlawfully entered its Abuja office after the organisation called for an investigation into corruption allegations involving the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).

DSS argued that the publication defamed its officials personally, but SERAP maintained that its statements were directed at the agency as an institution and not at individual operatives.

The ruling adds to growing debates over civic freedoms, defamation laws, and the relationship between state institutions and civil society groups in Nigeria.