The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of using the Department of State Services (DSS) to intimidate them. This allegation follows a defamation lawsuit filed by two DSS officials against SERAP, related to claims about a recent raid on their Abuja office.

SERAP is calling on President Tinubu to instruct the DSS to withdraw the lawsuit, expressing concern that the government is misusing defamation laws to target human rights advocates. They argue that the focus should be on tackling corruption in the oil sector and addressing the deteriorating economic situation, rather than silencing dissent.

This incident marks the first time SERAP has faced targeting by security agencies, despite their long history of challenging government actions through public interest litigation since 2004.

Additionally, SERAP has urged President Tinubu to withhold federal allocations from states that do not conduct credible local government elections, emphasizing the importance of democratic governance.