9th September, 2024
By Paul Dada
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has claimed to be a victim of invasion by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).
The organisation urged President Bola Tinubu “to immediately direct Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS) to end the intimidation and harassment and attack against our organization and the threat of arrest against our directors.”
In a statement signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP alleged: “Some officers from DSS today (Monday) invaded our Abuja office. A tall, large, dark-skinned woman entered our office, accompanied by a slim, dark-skinned man. Other officers were sighted in two unmarked vehicles stationed outside our office. The officers who interrogated our office requested to see our directors.
“The invasion of SERAP’s office followed our call on Mr Tinubu and his government to direct the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to immediately reverse the apparently illegal and unconstitutional increase in the pump price of petrol and to ensure the prompt and thorough investigation of alleged corruption and mismanagement in the NNPC”.
The statement also said human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana condemned the invasion of SERAP’s office by the DSS.
According to the statement, Falana said: “We condemn the invasion of SERAP’s office. The Tinubu government must urgently fish out the officers who carried out the invasion of SERAP’s office in the name of the government. Anyone found to be responsible for the invasion must be prosecuted. The government must allow human rights defenders to freely carry out their work, consistent with the Nigerian Constitution.”
