The Court of Appeal in Abuja has adjourned hearing in appeals filed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project and its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, against a N101m defamation judgment in favour of two Department of State Services officials.
The hearing was stalled on Friday after the court was informed that Oluwadare’s appeal brief had only been filed on Thursday and served on the respondents shortly before proceedings began.
The appeals challenge the May 5 judgment of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, which found that SERAP and Oluwadare defamed DSS officials Sarah John and Gabriel Ogundele over publications concerning a September 2024 visit to the organisation’s Abuja office.
A three-member panel led by Justice Danlami Senchi had begun proceedings in SERAP’s appeal, marked CA/ABJ/CV/1114/2026, before the court was told that Oluwadare’s related appeal, CA/ABJ/CV/1105/2026, was not yet ripe for hearing.
The development drew criticism from the panel, which questioned why the court had not been informed earlier.
Because both appeals arose from the same judgment, the panel set aside the proceedings already conducted in SERAP’s appeal and directed that the two matters be heard together.
The court adjourned the cases until October 13 and ordered the respondents to file their brief by October 12, while the appellants were directed to file any reply before the next sitting.
The dispute arose from publications in which SERAP alleged that DSS officials invaded its Abuja office on September 9, 2024 and subjected its personnel to harassment.
In his May 5 judgment, Justice Halilu Yusuf of the FCT High Court held that the claimants had proved the elements of defamation and rejected SERAP’s defence of justification.
The judge held that expressions such as “invasion”, “forceful entry” and “harassment” were inaccurate after evidence showed that the DSS officials did not force their way into the premises or brandish weapons.
Justice Yusuf awarded N100m in damages and N1m as cost of prosecuting the suit.
He also ordered SERAP and Oluwadare to publish a public apology on SERAP’s website and X account, as well as in two national newspapers and on two television stations.
The court further ruled that the judgment sum would attract 10 per cent annual interest from May 5 until fully paid.
SERAP and Oluwadare are now asking the Court of Appeal to overturn that decision.
