SERAP opened its defence after the court granted a housekeeping application for amendment of process filed.
Justice Yusuf Halilu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Maitama, on Monday adjourned for the adoption of the final written address in a ₦5 billion defamation suit filed by the Department of State Services against the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project.
The suit, marked FCT/HC/CV/4547/24, was filed by Sarah John and Gabriel Ogundele, officials of the DSS.
At the resumed hearing on Monday, the 2nd defendant, Deputy Director of SERAP, Kolawole Oluwadare, opened its defence after the court granted a housekeeping application for amendment of process filed.
Testifying before the court, Oluwadare, who adopted his statement on oath, clarified the organisation’s work as well as events surrounding the alleged invasion of its Abuja office by DSS operatives.
He told the court that SERAP is a registered non-governmental organisation dedicated to advancing transparency, accountability, and social justice in the country.
Dismissing suggestions that the organisation exists only to criticise the government, the 2nd defendant insisted that SERAP’s mandate is to promote and protect human rights, including socio-economic rights, in the overall interest of the public.
He maintained that the harassment and intimidation of civic actors posed a grave threat to SERAP’s work and hampers its effort to hold public institutions accountable.
According to him, SERAP operates with both local and international donor support.
Answering questions under cross-examination, the witness told the court that DSS operatives stormed the organisation’s office, a development he said made it alert the public.
He told the court that many staff members of SERAP, including a front-desk officer, a security guard, and a lawyer, reported the presence of the officials.
Oluwadare admitted that he used some harsh words like “unlawful, invasion, intimidation and harassment,” which wrongly depicted an invasion that did not happen in some publications made against the Department of State Services.
The witness, who also admitted that SERAP has both local and international fund donors, said he used the words in the publications based on information supplied to him by one Vivian Amadi, a front desk officer and receptionist with the organisation.
Oluwadare admitted using the words while being cross-examined by Oluwagbemileke Samuel Kehinde in a N5.5 billion defamation suit instituted against SERAP by two DSS operatives, Sarah John and Gabriel Ogundele.
The witness said the publications were based on the presence of two DSS officers in the SERAP office on September 9, 2024.
He said that he was not in the office when Vivian Amadi called him to inform him of the presence of the DSS officers in the compound of the organisation.
Oluwadare, who was taken through two exhibits, publications made by him against the DSS, read out the first paragraph of one of the publications where the alleged harsh words were used based on the information supplied to him.
In the publication posted on SERAP’s website, he raised an alarm that DSS had invaded SERAP’s office unlawfully, intimidating and harassing its staff, and called on President Bola Tinubu to call DSS officers to order.
He, however, disagreed that the words used in the publications were serious allegations against the two claimants.
The witness also admitted that he did not consult DSS before posting the publications on SERAP’s website.
He admitted that throughout the presence of the two DSS officers in the SERAP office, no property of the organisation was seized or damaged, and no staff was physically assaulted by the security agents.
Answering a question, the SERAP witness said that the DSS officers did not break any door to gain entrance into the office.
He also said the security agents did not brandish any weapon, but that the first claimant (Sarah John) was making calls asking other officers not to come inside the SERAP office but to take their positions.
He said that he had the CCTV footage of the DSS officers’ entrance into the organisation’s office.
The witness had earlier adopted his witness statement made on oath during his evidence in chief, where he was led by lawyer Oluwatosin Adesioye.
Meanwhile, Justice Halilu Yusuf has fixed February 19, 2026 for adoption of final addresses by parties in the suit.
In the suit filed in the names of two DSS officials, Sarah John and Gabriel Ogundele, the claimants accused the defendants of making a false claim that they invaded SERAP’s Abuja office.
The claimants stated that the alleged false claim by SERAP negatively impacted the reputation of the DSS and that of the two officials involved.
They also stated, in their statement of claim, that in line with its practice of engaging with officials of non-governmental organisations operating in the FCT to establish a relationship with their new leadership, it directed the two officials, John and Ogunleye, to visit SERAP’s office and invite its new leadership for a familiarisation meeting.
The claimants added that in carrying out the directive, John and Ogunleye paid a friendly visit to SERAP’s office at 18 Bamako Street, Wuse Zone 1, Abuja on September 9, and met with one Ruth, who upon being informed about the purpose of the visit, claimed that none of SERAP’s management staff was in the country and advised that a formal letter of invitation be written by DSS.
John and Ogundele, who said their interactions with Ruth were recorded, stated that before exiting SERAP’s office, Ruth promised to inform her organisation’s management about the visit and volunteered a phone number.
They said it was surprising that shortly after their visit, SERAP posted on its X handle that officers of the DSS were unlawfully occupying its office.
The claimants added that on the same day, the defendants also published a statement on SERAP’s website, which was widely reported by several media outlets, falsely alleging that DSS officers, described as “a tall, large, dark-skinned woman” and “a slim, dark-skinned man,” invaded their Abuja office and interrogated staff.
John and Ogundele stated that due to the false statements published by the defendants, the DSS was ridiculed and criticised by international agencies such as Amnesty International and prominent Nigerians such as Femi Falana.
They added that members of the public and international community formed the opinion that the Federal Government was using the DSS to harass the defendants.
They also stated that the publications damaged the claimants’ reputation within the DSS, as staff and management believed the claimants had carried out an unsanctioned operation and acted unprofessionally.
The claimants are asking the court for the following reliefs:
An order directing the defendants to tender an apology to the claimants via SERAP’s website, its X handle, two national daily newspapers (Punch and Vanguard), and two national news television stations (Arise Television and Channels Television) for falsely accusing them of unlawfully invading SERAP’s office and interrogating its staff.
An order directing the defendants to pay the claimants the sum of N5 billion as damages for the libellous statements published about them.
Interest on the sum of N5 billion at the rate of 10 percent per annum from the date of judgment until the judgment sum is liquidated.
An order directing the defendants to pay the claimants the sum of N50 million as costs of the action.
