Coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) has urged President Bola Tinubu’s government to immediately end the intimidation and harassment of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP).

This follows SERAP’s letter calling on Tinubu and his government to probe allegations of corruption in the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), and to reverse the increase in the pump price of petrol and Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS), which abruptly visited SERAP’s Abuja office unannounced.

SERAP had explained that some officers from DSS invaded its 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 staff requested to see our directors,” SERAP said.

Two DSS officers filed a defamation lawsuit against the organisation, claiming N5 billion.

The CSOs are Amnesty International, Accountability Lab, BudgIT, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA), Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) and YIAGA.

They expressed concern that the intimidation by the Tinubu government against SERAP, which is peacefully carrying out its mandate, illustrates the growing repression of civil society and crackdown on human rights, media freedom, violent repression of peaceful protests, and restrictions on civic space in Nigeria.

“We express our unwavering support for and solidarity with SERAP. The organisation is a watchdog committed to advocating for human rights and the rule of law, and to exposing corruption in Nigeria.”

“The intimidation and harassment of SERAP followed the invasion of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) office in Ikeja, Lagos, in August by armed security personnel, as well as the invasion of the headquarters of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the arbitrary arrest of NLC President, Joe Ajaero, by the DSS in September at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, as he was en route to the United Kingdom (UK) for the World Trade Union Congress. His passport was seized,” the groups stated.

They lamented that law enforcement agencies violated the rights of protesters and non-protesters during the #EndBadGovernance protests.

They also decried that Nigeria is now rated as one of West Africa’s most dangerous and difficult countries for human rights defenders, activists, labour leaders, journalists, and other civil society actors.