Two operatives of the Department of State Service, DSS, have dragged the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, for allegedly making false allegations against them.
Besides seeking a public apology, the security agents are demanding the sum of N5 billion as damages suffered as a result of SERAP’s alleged false publication.
In the suit marked CV/4547/2024 and filed on October 17 by their team of lawyers led by Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN, the operatives alleged that SERAP had, in a post on its X (Twitter) handle brought them and the DSS to ridicule when they accused them of invading and interrogating some staff members at their Abuja office.
According to Sarah John and Gabriel Ogunleye, 1st and 2nd claimants respectively, the DSS had on September 9, 2024, directed them to SERAP’s office to invite the new leadership of the organization for a familiarization meeting.
John, in a 43 paragraph statement of claim, said while she and Ogunleye had driven to SERAP’s office in the Wuse area of the FCT and “were not followed by any other car or escorted by any other person,” SERAP, shortly after they left its office premises, posted on X, saying “officers from Nigeria’s DSS are presently unlawfully occupying SERAP’s office in Abuja, asking to see our directors. President Tinubu must immediately direct the SSS to end the harassment, intimidation and attack on the rights of Nigerians”.
The claimants said that the tweet and subsequent statement by SERAP went viral on the social media and was widely circulated and broadcasted in major media outlets in the country thereby attracting wide condemnation from the public, includi
