FCT Court Orders SERAP To Pay N101m Damages, Issue Apology To DSS Operatives Over Defamation

FCT Court Orders SERAP To Pay N101m Damages, Issue Apology To DSS Operatives Over Defamation

An FCT High Court ordered SERAP to pay N101 million damages and apologise to two DSS operatives over defamatory publication.

A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory has ordered the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) to pay N101 million in damages to two Department of State Services (DSS) operatives over defamatory publications.

The judgment, delivered by Justice Yusuf Halilu, followed a suit filed by the operatives, Sarah John and Gabriel Ogundele, who accused SERAP of falsely portraying them as lawless officers in a publication alleging that DSS officials invaded the organisation’s office.

The claimants, who instituted the lawsuit in October 2024 in their personal capacity, argued that the publication damaged their professional reputations. They had initially sought N5 billion in damages, alongside legal costs and other reliefs.

In his ruling, Justice Halilu held that the case constituted libel and noted that SERAP did not deny making the publication in question. He further ruled that individuals do not need to be expressly named for defamation to be established.

The court found that the statements injured the claimants’ professional standing and rejected SERAP’s defence of justification.

According to the judgment, N100 million was awarded as damages, while an additional N1 million was granted as the cost of litigation, bringing the total to N101 million. The court also ordered that the sum attract interest at a rate of 10 per cent per annum from the date of judgment until it is fully paid.

In addition, the court directed SERAP to issue a public apology to the claimants, to be published on its X (formerly Twitter) handle, as well as in two national daily newspapers and on two television stations.