The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has pushed back against a ₦5.5 billion defamation lawsuit filed by the Department of State Security (DSS). The suit comes after SERAP accused the DSS of invading its Abuja office, a claim the security agency disputes.
In a public statement shared on its X (formerly Twitter) account, SERAP firmly denied the allegations and expressed its intent to challenge the lawsuit in court.
“We reject the baseless defamation lawsuit brought against us by the DSS, following the invasion of our Abuja office. We’re talking to our lawyers and will be filing our counter-claims. We’ll see in court to stop this intimidation and attack on the rights of Nigerians,” SERAP wrote on its X handle on Friday.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of two DSS officials, Sarah John and Gabriel Ogundele, claims that SERAP’s accusations have harmed their reputations as well as that of the DSS. According to the suit, which was initiated on October 17, 2024, in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court under case number CV/4547/2024, the officials are seeking damages for what they describe as false and damaging statements.
The case stems from an incident on September 9, 2024, when the two DSS officials reportedly visited SERAP’s Abuja office. According to the DSS, the visit was a routine attempt to invite SERAP’s leadership to a familiarization meeting. However, when the officials arrived, a staff member named Ruth informed them that the management was unavailable and asked them to provide a formal letter of invitation.
Following the visit, SERAP alleged that the DSS had invaded its office, prompting the current legal dispute. The DSS has since maintained that its actions were misrepresented by SERAP and has filed the lawsuit to defend its integrity and that of its officers.
