The Court of Appeal in Abuja will on Friday hear an appeal filed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) against the N101 million judgment entered against the organisation and its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, by the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The appeal, marked CA/ABJ/CV/1114/2026, is before the appellate court following the May 5 judgment delivered by Justice Halilu Yusuf.
Justice Yusuf had awarded N100 million in damages and N1 million as costs against SERAP and Oluwadare in a defamation suit instituted by two officials of the Department of State Services (DSS), Sarah John and Gabriel Ogundele.
The DSS officials had sued over publications made by SERAP on September 10, 2024, on its website and social media platforms. They alleged that the publications falsely stated that they had invaded SERAP’s Abuja office on September 9, 2024, and subjected the organisation to harassment.
In his judgment, Justice Yusuf held that the claimants had established the ingredients of defamation and rejected the defendants’ defence of justification.
The judge said SERAP and Oluwadare failed to establish the truth of their claims, particularly their use of expressions such as “invasion,” “forceful entry” and “harassment.”
He noted that the defendants had admitted during trial that the DSS officials did not forcefully enter SERAP’s premises or brandish weapons.
Justice Yusuf consequently held that the publications had injured the claimants’ reputation in their professional capacity and standing in society.
He also faulted the defendants for failing to remove the publications after the claimants had complained about their alleged inaccuracies.
The court ordered SERAP and Oluwadare to publish a public apology on SERAP’s website and X handle, as well as in two national newspapers and two television stations.
The judge further ordered that the judgment sum would attract 10 per cent interest annually from May 5 until full payment.
The Court of Appeal’s Registry, in a notice issued on Wednesday, informed parties that the appeal has been scheduled for hearing on Friday.
