Two operatives of the Department of State Service (DSS) have dragged the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), for making false allegations against them.
But Amnesty International (AI) on Friday, urged the DSS to immediately withdraw the lawsuit.
Besides seeking a public apology, the claimants are demanding the sum of N5 billion as damages suffered as a result of the defendants alleged false publication.
In the suit marked: CV/4547/2024 and filed on October 17, by their team of lawyers led by Akinlolu Kehinde, the claimants alleged that the defendants had by their post on their X (Twitter) handle brought them and the DSS to ridicule when they accused the claimants of invading and interrogating some staff members at their Abuja office.
According to Sarah John and Gabriel Ogunleye, 1st and 2nd claimants respectively, the DSS had on September 9, 2024, directed them to SERAP’s office and invited the new leadership of the organisation for a familiarisation meeting.
John in a 43-paragraph statement of claim said while she and Ogunleye drove to SERAP’s office in the Wuse area of the FCT and “were not followed by any other car or escorted by any other person,” SERAP shortly after the two visitors left its office premises took to their X handle saying, “officers from Nigeria’s DSS are presently unlawfully occupying SERAP’s office in Abuja, asking to see our directors. President Tinubu must immediately direct the SSS to end the harassment, intimidation and attack on the rights of Nigerians.”
The claimants said that the tweet and subsequent statement by SERAP went viral on social media and was widely circulated and broadcasted in major media outlets in the country thereby attracting wide condemnation from the public, including a senior lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana.
They claimed further that the condemnation of the DSS attracted condemnations on the two claimants who had visited SERAP’s office on September 9, on the directive of the DSS.
“Several attempts have been made by members of the public to identify the claimants as the tall, large, dark-skinned woman and the slim, dark-skinned man,” the deponent said.
They further claimed that the defendants’ statements caused harm to the claimants reputation because the staff and management of the DSS have formed the opinion that the claimants did not follow orders and carried out an unsanctioned operation.
“The defendants’ statements caused harm to the claimants’ reputation because staff of the DSS have formed the opinion that the ridicule and criticisms received by the DSS are a result of the claimants actions.
“As a result of the defendants’ false statements, the claimants are the subject of an ongoing investigation by the DSS. The claimants were made to make statements, were subject to interrogations and faced a disciplinary panel.
“The claimants have been suspended from the DSS pending the outcome of the ongoing investigation. The ongoing investigation has placed a huge emotional and psychological toll on the claimants.
“The claimants have been ostracised by their colleagues at the DSS because staff of the DSS believe that the claimants carried out an unauthorised operation that has brought disrepute to the DSS,” the deponent claimed.
While submitting that the statements made by the defendants were libelous because they were false and injurious, claimants, therefore, prayed the court for an order directing the defendants to tender an apology to the claimants via SERAP’s website, X handle, two national newspapers and two national news television stations, for falsely accusing the claimants of unlawfully invading the 1st defendant’s office and interrogating the 1st defendant’s staff.
“An order directing the defendants to pay the claimants the sum of N5 billion as damages for the alleged libelous statements published about the claimants”.
Besides, claimants are demanding another N50 million as the cost of the action.
Meanwhile, Amnesty International (AI) urged the DSS to immediately withdraw the suit.
AI, in a statement by its Media and Communications Assistant, Amnesty International Nigeria, Michael Christian, noted that the lawsuit by the DSS was a clear example of authorities abusing the legal system in order to censor, intimidate, and silence legitimate human rights and anti-corruption work.
“Human rights defenders, activists, and journalists must be allowed to freely carry out their legitimate work This abuse of legal strategy by the Tinubu administration to muzzle activists and journalists and undermine their work must stop.
“Nigerian authorities must uphold their constitutional and international human rights obligations, including those under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Nigeria is a state
party.”
Alex Enumah and Kasim Sumaina
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