The Incorporated Trustees of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has asked the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Abuja, to dismiss a defamation brought by two operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), Sarah John and Gabriel Ogunleye, insisting that its publications were lawful, factual, and directed at the institution not the individuals.
SERAP, which is the 1st defendant in suit marked CV/4547/2024, in its final written address, maintained that its September 9, 2024, statements on its verified X handle and official website accurately reported an incident at its Abuja office and raised legitimate concerns about official conduct within the bounds of public interest and free expression.
At yesterday’s proceedings, A.T. Kehinde appeared as counsel to the claimant, while Victoria Bassey represented the 1st defendant, and OluwaTosin appeared for the 2nd defendant.
Counsel informed the court that the matter was slated for the adoption of final written addresses.
However, Bassey drew the court’s attention to two pending applications, described as housekeeping matters, motions on notice seeking extension of time to file a reply on points of law, as well as extension of time to regularise the already filed processes.
The trial judge, Justice Yusuf Halilu, granted the applications as prayed. Thereafter, counsel for the claimant adopted the final written address and urged the court to uphold the defamation claim, insisting that the evidence before the court was sufficient to establish the allegations.
With all submissions taken, the court reserved judgment to a date to be communicated to the parties. The civil society organisation argued that its communications did not name the claimants and could not reasonably be construed as referring to them personally.
According to SERAP, the descriptions complained of were general and insufficient to identify any specific individuals within the DSS, stressing that no right-thinking person would read the publications as targeting the claimants.
