CDHR, CAIDOV urge SERAP to respect N100m DSS defamation judgement, avoid attacking court

The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, CDHR, and the Centre Against Injustice and Domestic Violence, CAIDOV, have condemned the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, for criticizing a Federal Capital Territory High Court ruling that awarded N100 million to two DSS operatives over a defamatory publication.

Justice Halilu Yusuf on Tuesday ordered SERAP to pay DSS operatives Sarah John and Gabriel Ogundele N100 million in general damages and N1 million as litigation costs. The court also directed SERAP to publish an apology in two national newspapers, two television stations, on its website and X handle.

CDHR said SERAP’s public condemnation of the judgment contradicts its own advocacy for rule of law and accountability.

“As a foremost human rights organization committed to the rule of law, constitutionalism, and democratic accountability, CDHR believes that every individual and institution — including civil society organisations — must respect the decisions of competent courts, regardless of personal opinions or institutional interests,” the group said in a statement signed by President Debo Adeniran and National Publicity Secretary Deacon Jeremiah Onyibe.

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The group noted that while freedom of expression is guaranteed, it must be exercised responsibly. The court, it added, found that SERAP’s publication was defamatory and harmed the officers’ professional reputation.

CDHR urged SERAP to comply with the judgment pending any appeal, refrain from statements that undermine judicial authority, and allow the appellate process to run its course if dissatisfied.

“The rule of law remains the foundation of every democratic society. Human rights advocacy must coexist with accountability, fairness, and respect for due process,” the group stressed.CAIDOV also faulted SERAP’s reaction, accusing it of double standards. Executive Director Gbenga Soloki said SERAP had nearly two years to defend its case but only resorted to media attacks after losing.

“It is sad that the same SERAP that has a history of relying on our law courts to hold government agencies and public office holders accountable is now disparaging the same institution simply because they didn’t win this time around,” Soloki said.

He pointed to SERAP’s September 2024 claim that DSS officers invaded its Abuja office — a claim he said was later misrepresented but still pinned on its X handle. “We in the human rights community should lead by example. We should not be seen as the very persons breaching human rights in the name of free speech,” he added.

CAIDOV compared the N100 million fine — less than $72,000 — to recent multimillion-dollar penalties imposed on global firms like Deloitte, PwC, and KPMG for misconduct, arguing that accountability should apply to all.

The group also criticized senior lawyer and SERAP trustee Ebun-Olu Adegborowa for castigating the judgment instead of advising an appeal, saying: “If people like Ebun-Olu Adegborowa feel that they know more than our very revered learned judges, it is not too late for him to transmute from a lawyer to a judge.”