The Court of Appeal in Abuja has adjourned proceedings in two related appeals brought by the Socio Economic Rights and Accountability Project and its deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare, against a N100 million defamation judgment involving the Department of State Services and two officials.
The appeals challenge a May 5 decision of the Federal Capital Territory High Court concerning publications about a September 2024 visit by DSS personnel to SERAP’s Abuja office. SERAP and Oluwadare are seeking to overturn the ruling and have also requested a suspension of its enforcement while the appeals are considered.
At the latest sitting, a three member appellate panel chaired by Justice Danlami Senchi began proceedings in SERAP’s appeal, numbered CA/ABJ/CV/1114/2026. When the related appeal filed by Oluwadare, CA/ABJ/CV/1105/2026, was called, his lawyer Hannah Ayanwale told the court that it was not ready for hearing because the relevant papers had been filed only on October 8.
The judges expressed dissatisfaction that the court had not been informed earlier about the status of the second matter. Because both appeals arose from the same trial court judgment, the panel set aside the earlier proceedings and directed that they be heard together on October 13.
The court instructed the respondents to file their brief by October 12 and the appellant to submit a reply before the next sitting.
At the centre of the dispute is a suit brought by DSS officials Sarah John and Gabriel Ogundele, who alleged that SERAP and Oluwadare made false statements suggesting that DSS personnel invaded the organization’s premises and harassed its staff in September 2024.
In the trial court judgment, Justice Halilu Yusuf found that the publications were defamatory and that the defendants had not substantiated their justification defence. The judge awarded N100 million in damages and N1 million in litigation costs, directed publication of an apology across specified media platforms and imposed annual interest of 10 per cent on the judgment sum until payment.
SERAP and Oluwadare dispute that decision through the pending appeals. The adjournment did not determine the merits of their challenge or alter the underlying judgment.
