Stakeholders have expressed concern over the growing use of lawsuits to intimidate journalists, human rights defenders, and civic actors in Nigeria, warning that the trend is shrinking civic space and weakening democratic accountability.

The concerns were raised yesterday in Abuja at a validation meeting on Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) in Nigeria, convened by Hope Behind Bars Africa.

Speaking at the meeting, Programme Manager of Hope Behind Bars Africa, Nurudeen Hassan, described SLAPPs as lawsuits designed to suppress participation rather than resolve disputes.

He said the organisation’s initiative, supported by the National Endowment for Democracy, aims to confront the misuse of legal systems against journalists, human rights defenders, and civil society organisations.

Hassan disclosed that the project includes awareness campaigns, capacity-building programmes, and the development of a SLAPPs Monitor platform designed to track cases across Nigeria and connect victims to legal support.

He said the organisation has also built a network of lawyers offering pro bono services to victims of strategic litigation, adding that the goal is to ensure that “the law serves as a shield for justice, not a weapon for intimidation.”

Founder and Executive Director of the Public Awareness on Rights and Rehabilitation of Vulnerable Persons Initiative (PAR-RVP Initiative), Ogechi Ogu, said the research was prompted by increasing cases of individuals and institutions using the justice system to silence dissenting voices.

She explained that the study found a pattern where litigation is deployed not necessarily to seek justice, but to intimidate critics and discourage public participation in governance debates.

According to her, the trend has contributed to rising self-censorship among journalists and civic actors, as many now fear the financial, legal, and personal consequences of speaking out on issues of public interest.

The researcher noted that the study identified provisions of the Criminal Code, Penal Code, defamation laws, and Section 24 of the Cybercrimes Act as commonly invoked instruments in SLAPP-related cases.

She stressed that although defamation is ordinarily a civil matter, it is often pursued through criminal proceedings to exert pressure on targets.

Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Council, Grace Ike, also decried what she described as persistent attempts to silence journalists through legal intimidation.

She reaffirmed the union’s commitment to defending press freedom, stressing that journalists play a critical role in ensuring accountability in a democratic society.

Ike commended the SLAPPs report and the proposed monitoring platform, noting that they would contribute to stronger advocacy for legal reforms and protection of press freedom in Nigeria.