‘DSS officials came to our office with fake IDs, unmarked vehicles’ – SERAP tells court

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‘DSS officials came to our office with fake IDs, unmarked vehicles’ – SERAP tells court

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has revealed that officials of Nigeria’s secret police, the Department of State Services, DSS, who invaded their Abuja office used fake names and came with two unmarked vehicles.

It was reported that SERAP had in September alleged that the DSS invaded its Abuja office.

The DSS then released a statement asserting that the visit to SERAP’s office was “a routine investigation”, but two of its officials later filed a defamation lawsuit against SERAP, seeking over N5 billion in damages.

Tayo Oyetibo, SAN and Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, SAN, the defense counsel for SERAP, informed the Federal Capital Territory High Court that “one of the two DSS officials who visited SERAP’s Abuja office disguised as ‘Sarah David’ to hide their true identities.

This move, according to the defense counsel, revealed the agency’s bad faith and sinister motives.

The senior lawyers also stated in court that “the DSS has no operational habit or practice of engaging with officials of NGOs, whether to establish a relationship with new leadership or for any social purpose whatsoever, whether in the Federal Capital Territory or elsewhere”.

The case, which was heard on Thursday by Justice Yusuf Halilu of Court 13, has been adjourned to November 29, 2024, for further proceedings.