Skip to main content Skip to footer 
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of using Nigeria’s security agencies to target individuals exercising their rights. The organization called on Tinubu to stop the “weaponization” of the Department of State Services (DSS) and to order the agency to withdraw a defamation lawsuit filed against SERAP by two DSS officials. The lawsuit followed allegations of a DSS-led raid on SERAP’s Abuja office.
In an open letter dated October 19, 2024, signed by SERAP’s deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organization expressed concern over the government’s use of defamation laws as a “tool of repression” and claimed that the DSS’s actions aim to silence those advocating for accountability. SERAP stated, “Rather than addressing the allegations of widespread corruption in the oil sector and the worsening economic situation in the country, your government is targeting those who campaign for actions in these areas.”
The group warned that if the lawsuit was not withdrawn, it would defend itself in court and could potentially involve Tinubu’s administration and the DSS in the case. SERAP criticized the government’s failure to address its previous recommendations, including the reversal of a recent fuel price hike and the investigation of alleged corruption within the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC).
The letter further accused the government of ignoring several court orders, including those requiring transparency regarding an agreement with X (formerly Twitter) and accounting for payments made to millions of Nigerians under a social welfare program. SERAP noted, “The country under your government has witnessed an escalating crackdown on human rights, particularly the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, association, and media freedom.”
SERAP highlighted its long history of public interest litigation against previous administrations, claiming that this was the first time any government had used security agencies to “intimidate and target” the organization. The group emphasized that such actions undermine democracy, deepen impunity, and weaken the rule of law.
The organization concluded by urging Tinubu’s administration to “embrace the rule of law” and protect the rights of Nigerians, stressing that upholding the rule of law is crucial for reducing corruption and achieving economic and developmental goals.
