In a move that could shake up the legal landscape, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), a Lagos-based rights group, has taken the Department of State Services (DSS) to the Appeal Court. The appeal, which seeks to overturn a N100 million defamation judgment awarded against SERAP by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, comes after the rights group was found guilty of defaming two DSS officers. According to Tribune Online, the appeal is expected to be heard in the coming weeks. The FCT High Court judgment was handed down in December 2025, with the court ruling that SERAP had tarnished the reputations of the DSS officers by making allegations of human rights abuses against them. The officers had sued SERAP for N100 million in damages, claiming that the allegations had caused them significant emotional distress. However, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has maintained that its work is in the public interest and that it was merely seeking to expose alleged abuses by the DSS. The group has said it will continue to pursue its mandate of promoting transparency and accountability, despite the financial penalty imposed by the court. It is unclear when the Appeal Court will deliver its ruling on the matter. This story matters to Nigerian readers as it highlights the ongoing tension between human rights groups and government agencies, and the potential impact this could have on the exercise of free speech and the pursuit of accountability.
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