Court adjourns SERAP’s N100m defamation appeal
An Abuja Court of Appeal has adjourned the hearing of SERAP’s appeal against a N100m defamation judgment in favour of two DSS officials until October 13. Read More:…
SERAP (Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project) is a Lagos-based civil society organisation known for public interest litigation on governance, human rights and anti-corruption issues in Nigeria, often filing suits against government agencies and officials. The group has previously been involved in high-profile cases challenging state actions, making any legal setback against it, such as a defamation judgment, notable given its role as a watchdog institution.
The case at the centre of this appeal stems from a defamation suit filed by two officials of the Department of State Services (DSS) against SERAP, which resulted in a N100 million judgment against the organisation at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory. SERAP is now challenging that judgment at the Court of Appeal in Abuja. Both Vanguard and Punch report that the appellate court adjourned the matter to October 13, though neither outlet has detailed the specific grounds of SERAP's appeal, the identities of the DSS officials involved, or the original circumstances that led to the defamation claim.