Global human rights organisations have backed the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) following a N100 million defamation judgment awarded to two Department of State Services (DSS) officials, alleging that the anti-corruption group is being targeted through judicial processes for its advocacy work.
The allegations were contained in an urgent appeal issued on Wednesday by the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a partnership between the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT).
According to the Observatory, SERAP has been subjected to intimidation, smear campaigns and threats after demanding investigations into alleged corruption and mismanagement within the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
The rights groups noted that on May 5, 2026, the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja found SERAP liable for defamation in a suit filed by two Department of State Services (DSS) officials, Sarah John and Gabriel Ogundele.
Justice Yusuf Halilu ordered the organisation to pay N100 million in damages and publish a public apology.
