CDHR Urges SERAP to Respect Court Judgment and Refrain from Further Vilification of DSS Operatives

 

The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) has noted the judgment delivered by the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in the defamation suit instituted by two operatives of the Department of State Services against the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP).

As a foremost human rights organization committed to the rule of law, constitutionalism, and democratic accountability, CDHR believes that every individual and institution — including civil society organisations — must respect the decisions of competent courts, regardless of personal opinions or institutional interests.

While citizens and advocacy groups retain the constitutional right to freedom of expression and public criticism, such rights must be exercised responsibly and within the bounds of the law. The court, after reviewing the evidence before it, found that the publication made against the DSS operatives was defamatory and injurious to their professional reputation.

CDHR therefore calls on SERAP to:

* Respect the judgment of the court;

* Comply with all lawful directives contained in the ruling pending any appeal;

* Refrain from further public statements capable of worsening tensions or undermining judicial authority; and

* Allow the legal process to run its full course through the appellate system if it remains dissatisfied with the judgment.

We equally urge all parties and commentators to avoid inflammatory narratives capable of deepening institutional distrust or portraying the judiciary as partisan without credible basis.

The rule of law remains the foundation of every democratic society. Human rights advocacy must coexist with accountability, fairness, and respect for due process.

CDHR reiterates that no organisation, regardless of its status in civil society, is above the law, just as no security agency should be shielded from lawful scrutiny. Justice and responsibility must apply equally to all.

**Signed:**

Comrade Debo Adeniran 

CDHR President and Secretary Board of Trustee 

Comrade Deacon Jeremiah Onyibe 

National Publicity Secretary CDHR