June 15, 2026
By Henry Ojelu
By all indications, the N100 million defamation judgment secured against the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) may become one of the most consequential civic rights cases in Nigeria’s recent democratic history.
What began as a dispute over a publication concerning the activities of operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS, has rapidly evolved into a national debate on freedom of expression, civil society activism, judicial accountability and the shrinking space for public-interest advocacy.
The judgment delivered by Justice Yusuf Halilu of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, awarded N100 million damages against SERAP in favour of two DSS officials, Sarah John and Gabriel Ogundele, who sued the organisation for defamation.
