The Court of Appeal in Abuja is set to hear an appeal filed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) against a N101 million judgment entered against the organisation and its deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare.
The hearing is scheduled for Friday, following a notice issued by the appellate court’s Registry to parties involved in the case, which is identified as CA/ABJ/CV/1114/2026.
SERAP’s appeal stems from a May 5 decision of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, where Justice Halilu Yusuf awarded N100 million in damages and N1 million as litigation costs against the organisation and Oluwadare.
READ ALSO:SERAP, Editors Seek End to Intimidation of Journalists, Activists
The judgment followed a defamation suit brought by two officials of the Department of State Services, Sarah John and Gabriel Ogundele.
The officials had challenged publications by SERAP concerning an alleged incident at the organisation’s Abuja office in September 2024.
They argued that the reports contained false claims about their conduct during the incident.
Justice Yusuf found that the claimants had established their defamation case, rejecting the defendants’ justification defence. The court also found that the publications had harmed the officials’ professional reputation.
The judge said SERAP and Oluwadare had acknowledged during proceedings that the DSS officials did not forcibly enter the organisation’s premises or display weapons.
The court subsequently ordered the defendants to issue a public apology through SERAP’s website and X account, as well as selected national newspapers and television stations.
It also directed that the judgment debt would attract annual interest until it is fully settled.
SERAP, dissatisfied with the decision, approached the Court of Appeal seeking to overturn the judgment.
The appellate court’s Friday hearing will therefore provide the next stage in the legal dispute.
