Court Reserves Judgment In SERAP’s Appeal Against N100m Defamation Award

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has reserved judgment in an appeal filed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) challenging a N100m defamation judgment awarded against it by the Federal Capital Territory High Court.

A three-member panel presided over by Justice Danlami Senchi reserved judgment on Tuesday after hearing arguments from SERAP’s counsel, Tayo Oyetibo, SAN, and counsel for the first and second respondents, O.S. Kehinde.

The appeal challenges a judgment delivered on May 5, 2026, by Justice Yusuf Halilu.

Arguing the appeal, Oyetibo contended that the trial court lacked jurisdiction to award damages in favour of Sarah John over a publication allegedly referring to Sarah David.

He also questioned how the trial court established that the description of a “tall, large, dark-skinned” woman referred to the claimant without a photograph to support the identification.

Oyetibo urged the appellate court to allow the appeal and overturn the judgment.

However, Kehinde urged the court to dismiss the appeal, arguing that SERAP failed to establish that Sarah John and Sarah David were different persons.

He maintained that an individual could identify themselves from a publication based on the description provided, even if their name was not expressly mentioned.

Meanwhile, the court struck out applications by Columbia University, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of assembly, and the Southern Africa Litigation Centre seeking to participate in the appeal as amici curiae, or friends of the court.

The applicants withdrew their applications after the court indicated that it saw “no need” for their intervention.

Justice Senchi said the date for the delivery of judgment would be communicated to the parties.