SERAP's N100m Defamation Appeal Hearing Adjourned to 2026

On October 9, 2026, the Court of Appeal in Abuja adjourned the hearing of two appeals related to a defamation suit involving the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP). The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory had previously ordered SERAP to pay N100m in damages to two Department of State Services (DSS) officials.

The three-member panel, led by Justice Danlami Senchi, initially reserved judgment in SERAP's appeal but later discovered that a second appeal, filed by Kolawole Oluwadare, was not ready for hearing. This second appeal was linked to the same judgment delivered on May 5, 2026, by Justice Yusuf Halilu, which found SERAP liable for defamation over publications regarding an alleged visit by DSS officials to its Abuja office in September 2024.

SERAP contends that the officials were not named in the publications and that the claimants did not provide credible evidence linking the descriptions to them. The hearing is now set for October 13, 2026.