Proceedings in the appeal filed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, over a N101 million defamation judgment have been postponed after delays in submitting required court documents.

The matter was before a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, where the appeals challenged a judgment of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court delivered on May 5, 2026.

The lower court had ruled that SERAP and Oluwadare defamed two officials of the Department of State Services (DSS) through a publication made on Sept. 10, 2024.

Appeal hearing postponed

During Friday’s proceedings, the appeal filed by SERAP, marked CA/ABJ/CV/1114/2026, was called before the panel led by Justice Danlami Senchi.

However, the related appeal filed by Oluwadare, marked CA/ABJ/CV/1105/2026, could not proceed because the appellant’s brief had only been filed a day earlier.

Counsel representing Oluwadare, Hannah Ayanwale, informed the court that the appeal was not ready for hearing because the necessary documents had just been submitted.

The court expressed concern that the issue had not been brought to its attention earlier, especially because both appeals originated from the same judgment and were expected to be handled together.

The panel consequently set aside the earlier proceedings in SERAP’s appeal and ordered that both matters should proceed jointly.

The hearing was adjourned until Oct. 13, 2026.

The respondents were directed to file their briefs on or before Oct. 12, while the appellants were ordered to submit any reply briefs before the next sitting.

Background of the Defamation Case

The dispute arose from a publication by SERAP and Oluwadare alleging that DSS officials Sarah John and Gabriel Ogundele invaded SERAP’s Abuja office on Sept. 9, 2024, and subjected staff members to harassment.

The two DSS officials filed a suit at the FCT High Court, arguing that the claims were false and damaging to their professional reputation.

The case was filed as CV/4547/2024 before Justice Yusuf Halilu.

FCT High Court awards N101m damages

In the May 5 judgment, Justice Halilu held that the DSS officials successfully proved the elements required to establish defamation.

The court rejected SERAP’s defence of justification, ruling that the organisation and its deputy director failed to provide sufficient evidence supporting claims of invasion and harassment.

The judge noted that evidence presented during trial showed the DSS officials did not forcefully enter SERAP’s premises or display weapons.

The court found that the wording used in the publication harmed the reputation of the claimants in their professional capacity.

Justice Halilu awarded:

• N100 million in damages
• N1 million in legal costs

The court also ordered SERAP and Oluwadare to publish an apology on:

• SERAP’s website;
• its X (formerly Twitter) account;
• two national newspapers;
• two television stations.

The judgment further directed that the award would attract 10 per cent annual interest until payment.

SERAP’s Appeal Challenge

SERAP and Oluwadare appealed the ruling, seeking to overturn the decision of the FCT High Court.

The appeal hearing will now continue after the parties comply with the Court of Appeal’s directives on filing their legal documents.

The case has attracted attention because it involves a prominent civil society organisation known for advocacy on transparency, accountability and governance issues, and raises questions around freedom of expression, public-interest reporting and protection of individual reputation.