Rights Groups Urge SERAP to Comply with Court Ruling

Rights groups, including the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), have called on the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) to comply with a High Court judgment that awarded N100 million in damages to two officers of the Department of State Services (DSS) for defamation. The judgment, issued on September 9, 2024, requires SERAP to publish a public apology on its website and in various media outlets.

CDHR emphasized the importance of respecting court judgments to preserve democracy and the rule of law. SERAP, however, has rejected the judgment, labeling it flawed and announcing plans to appeal.

The DSS had previously conducted an internal investigation regarding allegations made by SERAP about an invasion of its Abuja office. The court ruled in favor of the DSS officers, stating that SERAP's claims were defamatory and damaging to their professional reputations.