* Over alleged defamation
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) will be required to prove in court how the Department of State Services (DSS) invaded its premises or cough out a whopping N5.5 billion damages to compensate the Nigerian secret police for making the claim.
In what seems a change in its modus operandi, the secret police has filed a defamation suit at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), alleging that the false report negatively impacted its reputation and the reputations of two of its operatives – Sarah John and Gabriel Ogundele – who are also claimants in the case.
In the lawsuit, marked CV/4547/2024, the DSS has names SERAP and its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, as defendants.
The DSS is also claiming that its operatives – John and Ogundele – had visited SERAP’s office on September 9, 2024, for a routine familiarisation meeting, which is part of its practice of engaging with NGOs.
However, shortly after the visit, SERAP allegedly published a false report on its X (formerly Twitter) handle and website, claiming that DSS officers had unlawfully occupied its office and interrogated its staff, the agency, said, claiming that SERAP’s publication was widely disseminated by various media outlets, leading to reputational harm.
For this reason, it prayed Justice Yusuf Halilu of the court to compel the CSO, to pay N5.5 billion in damages, while emphasising that it recorded the interactions during the visit, which were amicable, contrary to SERAP’s claims.