DSS Officers Occupy SERAP Office in Abuja, Group Urges Tinubu to Intervene

Story Summary:

• DSS officers have taken control of the Abuja office of SERAP, reportedly asking to meet with the organisation’s directors.
• SERAP alleges the occupation is linked to its recent demand for a reversal of the petrol price hike and investigation into alleged corruption at NNPC.
• The organisation condemned the invasion as intimidation and called on President Tinubu to intervene and stop the harassment.
• Prominent human rights lawyer Femi Falana has urged the government to prosecute the DSS officers involved in the incident.
• SERAP has threatened to pursue legal action if the government does not address the harassment and ensure the safety of civil society groups.

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has reported that officers from the Department of State Services (DSS) have taken control of its office in Abuja, allegedly unlawfully.

In a statement released Monday, SERAP revealed that DSS officers have been demanding to see the organisation’s directors.

The right organisation called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately instruct the DSS to cease the harassment and intimidation of its staff.

According to the organisation, the incident follows SERAP’s recent demand for President Tinubu and his government to direct the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to reverse the recent hike in petrol prices, which they describe as illegal and unconstitutional.

The Deputy Director of SERAP, Kolawole Oluwadare, condemned the invasion, stating that it amounts to intimidation and harassment.

Prominent human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, also criticised the DSS’s actions, urging the government to identify and prosecute the officers involved.

SERAP expressed concern over the increasing crackdown on human rights defenders and civil society groups, warning that such actions undermine justice and promote impunity.

The group called on the government to uphold the Nigerian Constitution and international human rights laws, ensuring that civil society organisations can operate without fear of reprisal.

SERAP has threatened legal action both nationally and internationally if the government fails to take swift measures to stop the harassment and intimidation of its staff and other civil society groups.