A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja has shifted hearing in a N5.5 billion defamation suit instituted against the Socio-economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) by two aggrieved operatives of the Department of the State Service DSS to November 12.<\/p>\n
Justice Halilu Yusuf on Thursday, shifted hearing in the suit following the absence of SERAP\u2019s lawyer, Ebun Adegboruwa, SAN, in court.<\/p>\n
The two DSS operatives, Sarah John and Gabriel Ogunleye, had filed the action against SERAP on the ground that the organization defamed them with baseless accusations in media publications.<\/p>\n
Specifically, the two claimants alleged that SERAP defamed with allegations that they unlawfully invaded their office, thereby putting their reputation, as law abiding security operatives, in jeopardy.<\/p>\n
They therefore pleaded with the court to order SERAP to pay them N5.5Bn as compensation for damages they suffered.<\/p>\n
The two claimants also applied to the judge to issue order of perpetual injunction against SERAP restraining it from further defaming them.<\/p>\n
However, at Thursday\u2019s proceeding, SERAP\u2019s lawyer, Ebun Adegboruwa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, wrote a letter to the court informing it that he would not be able to attend the proceedings.<\/p>\n
The senior lawyer claimed that he had a matter at the Court of Appeal in Lagos and pleaded for an adjournment till November 12.<\/p>\n
Counsel to the claimant, Akinlolu Kehinde SAN admitted receiving the letter and the apology and did not oppose the request for an adjournment.<\/p>\n
Justice Halilu subsequently fixed November 12 for SERAP to defend itself in the defamation suit.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja has shifted hearing in a N5.5 billion defamation suit instituted against the Socio-economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) by two…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19332,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-123025","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n