Court Judgment Raises Concerns About Civic Freedoms in Nigeria

Click to expand Image The Federal High Court premises in Abuja, Nigeria, on April 22, 2026. © 2026 Light Oriye Tamunotonye/AFP via Getty Images On May 5, a Nigerian high court ordered the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), a prominent local human rights organization, to pay 100 million naira (about US$72,000) in damages to two Department of State Services officials. The court also directed the organization to publish public apologies and pay litigation costs. The Departmen