The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has appealed the ₦100 million defamation judgment awarded to officials of the Department of State Services by a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja.
The organisation described the ruling delivered by Justice Yusuf Halilu on May 5, 2026, as a miscarriage of justice, insisting that the decision was flawed both legally and procedurally.
In a statement released on Tuesday by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the group disclosed that its legal team, led by senior advocate Tayo Oyetibo, filed a notice of appeal on May 8 alongside an application seeking a stay of execution pending the outcome of the appeal process.
According to SERAP, the appeal would be expanded once the Certified True Copy of the judgment becomes available in order to address additional areas it believes further expose weaknesses in the ruling.
The case stemmed from social media posts made by SERAP in September 2024 alleging that DSS operatives unlawfully occupied its Abuja office and intimidated staff members.
Following the suit filed by DSS officials Sarah John and Gabriel Ogundele, the court ruled that the publication was defamatory and ordered SERAP to pay ₦100 million in damages.
Justice Halilu also directed the organisation to publish public apologies on its website, newspapers and television stations, while additionally awarding ₦1 million as litigation costs and imposing a 10 per cent annual post-judgment interest until full payment is made.
However, SERAP argued that the judgment lacked evidential support and was based on legal errors that affected the fairness of the proceedings.
The organisation claimed the trial court relied on defective evidence, including a witness statement that was allegedly not properly sworn before a Commissioner for Oaths.
SERAP further maintained that the disputed publication did not directly identify the DSS officials by name, rank, photograph or any personal identifier capable of establishing defamation against them individually.
The group also faulted the court for allegedly relying on subjective feelings of DSS personnel rather than applying established legal standards used in determining defamation cases.
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In addition, SERAP insisted that its publication was protected under the legal principles of justification, qualified privilege and fair comment, arguing that the statement was issued in the public interest regarding the activities of a state security agency.
The organisation also contended that the DSS officials failed to provide evidence showing reputational damage, disciplinary action or financial losses resulting from the publication.
SERAP warned that enforcing the judgment before the appeal is determined could severely affect its operations and weaken its human rights advocacy activities across the country.
According to the organisation, thousands of vulnerable Nigerians depend on its interventions, investigations and legal actions on issues relating to accountability, transparency and human rights protection.
The group further argued that immediate enforcement of the judgment could hinder its constitutional right to pursue an appeal due to the financial burden involved.
Despite the claimants initially demanding ₦5 billion in damages, the court awarded ₦100 million, which Justice Halilu described in his ruling as “a paltry sum.”