By Zainab Bakare
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has adjourned until October 13 the hearing of two appeals arising from a defamation suit in which the Federal Capital Territory High Court ordered the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) to pay N100 million in damages to two Department of State Services (DSS) officials.
A three-member panel led by Justice Danlami Senchi vacated its earlier decision to reserve judgment in SERAP’s appeal after discovering that a second appeal arising from the same judgment was not ready for hearing.
The second appeal was filed by Kolawole Oluwadare.
His counsel, Hannah Ayanwale, told the court that the case was not ready because the appellant’s brief and an additional record of appeal had only been filed the previous day.
Counsel to the respondents argued that the appeal amounted to an abuse of court process, while the panel faulted the lawyers for failing to notify it earlier that the matter was not ready.
Justice Senchi stressed that only the court could decide whether an appeal should be withdrawn or removed from its cause list.
The court ordered the respondents to file their briefs by October 12 and directed the appellant to file a reply by the following morning. It said both appeals would be heard together on October 13, 2026.
The dispute arose from SERAP’s September 2024 publications alleging that DSS officials unlawfully entered its Abuja office after the organisation called on President Bola Tinubu to investigate corruption allegations at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and reverse fuel price increases.
The two officials sued SERAP over descriptions of them in the publications. On May 5, 2026, the FCT High Court ruled against the organisation and awarded N100 million in damages.
SERAP is challenging the judgment, arguing that the publications did not identify the officials by name, rank, designation or photograph.
It is also contesting the damages award and the order directing it to publish an apology.
