N100m verdict: Why SERAP’s legal battle could redefine civic activism in Nigeria

By Henry Ojelu
By all indications, the N100 million defamation judgment secured against the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) may become one of the most consequential civic rights cases in Nigeria’s recent democratic history.
What began as a dispute over a publication concerning the activities of operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS, has rapidly evolved into a national debate on freedom of expression, civil society activism, judicial accountability and the shrinking space for public-interest advocacy.
The judgment delivered by Justice Yusuf Halilu of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, awarded N100 million damages against SER...