The absence of Justice Yusuf Halilu of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, has stalled the hearing in a N5.5bn defamation suit filed by two operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) against the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP).
The matter, earlier fixed for November 12, was adjourned to November 24 following information that Justice Halilu was indisposed and would not sit.
A Registrar of the court, Mr. A.O. Yinka, informed lawyers and litigants present that he had been directed by the judge to announce his inability to attend proceedings.
He then advised counsel in the pending matters to mutually agree on new dates.
Subsequently, the case between the DSS operatives and SERAP was fixed for November 24 for the defence to open its case.
The suit was instituted by Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Akinlolu Kehinde, on behalf of two DSS officers, Sarah John and Gabriel Ogunleye, who accused SERAP of publishing false and damaging claims against them.
The plaintiffs alleged that SERAP’s publication wrongly accused them of unlawfully invading an office, thereby tarnishing their image as law-abiding security personnel.
They are seeking N5.5bn in damages and an order of perpetual injunction restraining SERAP from making further defamatory statements against them.
At the previous sitting on October 16, SERAP’s counsel, Ebun Adegboruwa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, had written to the court to explain his absence due to a conflicting engagement at the Court of Appeal in Lagos, and requested an adjournment.
Counsel to the claimants, Kehinde, did not oppose the request, prompting the court to adjourn the case to November 12 for SERAP’s defence.
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