A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Friday commenced hearings in the defamation case filed by two operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) against the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP).
The case stems from SERAP’s refusal to apologize to the DSS after the civil society organization accused DSS operatives of invading its Abuja office.
The defamation lawsuit was filed by DSS officers Sarah John and Gabriel Ogundele in October 2024, seeking ₦5 billion in damages for what they described as reputational harm caused by SERAP’s accusations.
In addition to the monetary claim, the officers are demanding that SERAP publish an apology on its website, national newspapers, and television stations.
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Furthermore, the officers are requesting that SERAP pay N50 million for legal costs and an annual interest rate of 10% on the N5 billion until the full payment is made.
At the resumed hearing, the court advised SERAP’s defence team to examine all six documents the plaintiffs presented carefully. The judge emphasized that any objections raised would be considered in the final written address.
The hearing began with the cross-examination of Sarah John, referred to as PW1 (plaintiff witness 1), by the counsel for the first and second defendants.
John’s testimony centred on the alleged invasion of SERAP’s office, which the DSS officers claim led to damage to their reputations.
SERAP was represented in court by Divine Oguru, while its deputy director was represented by Oluwatosin Adesoye, who offered apologies for the absence of his client. Akinolu Kehinde, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), represented the plaintiffs and stated that he was fully prepared for the hearing.
During the cross-examination, the defence counsel argued that the names of the claimants were not directly mentioned by SERAP in its statements, suggesting that the claims may not be justified.
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However, Sarah John testified that the allegations made by SERAP had a significant negative impact on her reputation, as well as the reputation of her colleague and all DSS personnel.
