SERAP's Kolawole Oluwadare Appeals N100M Defamation Ruling

The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, has mandated two officers of the Department of State Services (DSS) to submit their respondents' brief within 48 hours in an appeal filed by Kolawole Oluwadare, the director of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP). This appeal contests a N100 million defamation judgment awarded against Oluwadare and SERAP by the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on 5 May 2026.

The judgment stemmed from publications alleging that security operatives invaded SERAP's Abuja office in September 2024. SERAP and Oluwadare argue that the claimants did not prove that the publications identified them or were defamatory.

During proceedings, Oluwadare's counsel stated that the appeal was not ready for hearing as the appellants' brief was filed only the previous day. The court halted further proceedings, directing the DSS officers to file their brief by Monday morning, with Oluwadare required to file his reply by Tuesday morning.

SERAP's appeal includes 24 grounds challenging the trial court's findings on various legal aspects.