SERAP appeal over N101m defamation judgment set for Friday hearing

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has scheduled a hearing for Friday regarding an appeal filed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP). The case concerns a May 5 judgment from the Abuja High Court that ordered SERAP and its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, to pay N101 million in damages.

The original ruling by Justice Halilu Yusuf found that the group defamed two Department of State Services (DSS) officials, Sarah John and Gabriel Ogundele. The court determined that SERAP’s publications on its website and social media platforms falsely claimed the officials had invaded their office and subjected them to harassment on September 9, 2024.

Justice Yusuf ruled that the defendants failed to provide evidence that their claims were not based on falsehoods. The judge noted that terms such as “invasion, forceful entry and harassment” were used inaccurately, as the defendants admitted during trial that the DSS officials did not use weapons or enter the premises by force. The court concluded that these inaccurate publications injured the professional reputations of the claimants.