Nigeria: Continued acts of intimidation against SERAP amid ongoing judicial proceedings

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a partnership of the International Federation for Human Rights , FIDH, and the World Organisation Against Torture, OMCT, has received new information and requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Nigeria.

New information:

The Observatory has been informed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP) about the acts of intimidation and judicial harassment targeting its organisation following its call to investigate allegations of corruption and mismanagement within the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL,. SERAP is a leading Nigerian non-governmental organisation promoting transparency, accountability, the rule of law, anti-corruption efforts, and addressing illicit financial flows. 
On 5 May 2026, the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, in Abuja found SERAP liable for defamation following a complaint filed by two officials of the Department of State Services, DSS, Ms. Sarah John and Mr. Gabriel Ogundele, under case number FCT/HC/CV/4547/24. On 5 May 2026, Justice Yusuf Halilu ordered SERAP to pay 100 million Nigerian naira (approximately 64,000 Euros) in damages to the DSS officials for alleged defamation and directed the organisation to issue a public apology. On 8 May 2026, SERAP filed a Notice of Appeal and an application for a stay of execution against this judgment. 
The lawsuit arose from a post published by SERAP on X on 9 September 2024 alleging that DSS officials had unlawfully entered its Abuja office on the same day. SERAP reported that DSS officials arrived in two unmarked vehicles without any official notice. One of the officials concealed her identity by signing the visitors’ register under the name “Sarah David” instead of “Sarah John”. The officials demanded access to management staff, requested official documents and interrogated the organisation’s front desk officer. This raised concerns among the staff that the office might be raided and that they could all be arrested. The convoy remained stationed at SERAP’s office and left only after various media outlets, alerted by SERAP’s tweet, began arriving to monitor the situation.   
This DSS visit to SERAP’s office took place shortly after SERAP had publicly exposed alleged corruption and mismanagement in the operation of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and criticised the increase in petrol pump prices implemented by the NNPCL  in a statement published on 8 September 2024 on its website. 
Later on 11 June 2026, SERAP filed a lawsuit against NNPCL over its alleged failure to account for and provide details regarding around 5.9 billion Nigerian naira (approximately 3,7 million Euros) in expenditure.
As of the date of publication of this urgent appeal, SERAP continues to face serious threats and intimidation, including ongoing smear campaigns through protests and media outlets that appear to be state-sponsored, condemning SERAP's decision to appeal the judgment and calling on the organisation to comply with it despite its application for a stay of execution of the decision. In addition, individuals whom SERAP believes to be linked to the state security services are sending threatening messages to members of its team.
The Observatory recalls that SERAP received the Wole Soyinka Anti-Corruption Defender Award in 2014 and has been nominated for the UN Civil Society Award, the Ford Foundation’s Jubilee Transparency Award and the 2024 Columbia Global Freedom of Expression Prizes. SERAP is also a member of the UNCAC Coalition, a global network of more than 350 civil society organisations committed to advancing the implementation and monitoring of the United Nations Convention against Corruption. 
The Observatory strongly condemns the judicial harassment targeting SERAP, which is likely to create a chilling effect on freedom of expression and civic participation of the organisation. Some SERAP staff members have already expressed reluctance to return to work for fear of being arbitrarily arrested, harassed, intimidated and/or detained by the DSS. 
The Observatory fears that this case may also encourage the use of legal proceedings as a tool of retaliation against other organisations and individuals engaged in legitimate public interest work. The judgment risks undermining the ability of human rights defenders, journalists, whistleblowers and civil society actors in Nigeria to carry out their legitimate activities without fear of intimidation, financial penalties or other adverse consequences. 
The Observatory also notes that the office visit and the judicial proceedings stem from the publication of an online statement and a post on X. With approximately 129 million internet users and one of the largest social media populations in Africa, restrictions on online expression pose a significant threat to the work of civil society, which relies heavily on digital platforms for public engagement and mobilisation.
The Observatory is concerned that this judicial proceeding constitutes a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP) aimed at intimidating and silencing SERAP for its legitimate human rights activities, as well as other human rights organisations, defenders and journalists in Nigeria, through the weaponisation of defamation laws.
The Observatory further notes that the judicial harassment and sentencing of SERAP undermine the freedoms of association and expression guaranteed under Sections 39 and 40 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Articles 9 and 10 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, Articles 22 and 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, ICCPR.
The Observatory urges the Nigerian authorities to guarantee SERAP a fair, independent and impartial appeal process and to put an end to all forms of harassment against SERAP and all human rights defenders in Nigeria.
The Observatory also urges the Nigerian authorities to effectively investigate the allegations of corruption and mismanagement raised by SERAP concerning the NNPCL.

Actions requested:

Please write to the Nigerian authorities urging them to:

Guarantee in all circumstances the physical integrity and psychological well-being of staff of SERAP, and all human rights defenders in Nigeria ;
Guarantee SERAP a fair, independent and impartial appeal process in accordance with national, regional and international human rights standards; 
Immediately and unconditionally put an end to all acts of judicial harassment against SERAP, as the proceedings against the organisation appear to be solely aimed at restricting its freedom of association and expression, and at hindering its legitimate human rights activities;
Ensure that SERAP and all human rights defenders in Nigeria are able to carry out their legitimate activities without fear of reprisals, and free of all undue restrictions, including arbitrary detention, torture, or other sanctions.
Ensure strict respect for fundamental freedoms, in particular guarantee in all circumstances respect of the freedom of association and expression as guaranteed by international human rights law, in particular by Articles 22 and 19 of the ICCPR, to which Nigeria is party;
Addresses:

H.E. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Président de la République fédérale du Nigeria, Email : info@osgf.gov.ng, X : @officialABAT ;
H.E. George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, E-mail : info@osgf.gov.ng, X : @OfficialOSGF ;
H.E. Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, E-mail : info@foreignaffairs.gov.ng, X : @YusufTuggar, 
Hon. Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi, Email : info@justice.gov.ng, 
Mr. Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi, Director-General, Department of State Services, DSS.
Dr. Tony Ojukwu SAN, Executive Secretary, National Human Rights Commission, E-mail : info@nhrc.gov.ng 
Permanent Mission of Nigeria to the United Nations, E-mail : mission@nigeria-un-geneva.ch 
H.E. Mr. Obinna Chiedu Onowu, Ambassador, Mission of Nigeria to the European Union, E-mail : info@nigeriabrussels.org / contactus@nigeriabrussels.org.
Please also write to the diplomatic representations of Nigeria in your respective countries.