The Deputy Director of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), Kolawole Dare, has declared that the organisation will not be intimidated by recent actions of the Federal Government.
SERAP plans to file a public interest lawsuit at the Federal High Court to compel President Bola Tinubu to reverse the recent fuel pump price hike and investigate allegations of corruption within the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
Dare made this known on Wednesday in response to the invasion of SERAP’s Abuja office by officers of the Department of State Services (DSS) on Monday.
The raid followed a 48-hour ultimatum issued by the organisation to President Tinubu, urging him to order the NNPCL to reverse the fuel price increase and to instruct the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, to probe the NNPCL over allegations of corruption and mismanagement.
SERAP had called for the reversal of the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, which had surged from approximately N600 to N855 per litre, with some instances exceeding N900. According to the group, the price hike was linked to the refusal of suppliers to import petroleum products due to an alleged $6 billion debt.
In its ultimatum, SERAP emphasised the legal obligation of the government under Section 13 and Section 15(5) of the Nigerian Constitution to combat corruption. The organisation warned that failure to address its demands within 48 hours would result in legal action.
On Monday, just hours after the ultimatum expired, SERAP reported the DSS raid on its official X (formerly Twitter) account, calling on President Tinubu to intervene and halt the harassment of the organisation.
While the DSS described the operation as a “routine investigation,” Dare affirmed SERAP’s commitment to advocating for good governance and transparency in Nigeria. He stated that the organisation would not be deterred by government intimidation, adding that SERAP would continue to resist efforts to silence civil society voices.
Dare also reiterated that SERAP would proceed with legal action to compel the President to reverse the fuel price hike and investigate the corruption allegations against the NNPCL.
“We are not intimidated by the government’s actions, including the invasion of our office by the DSS. SERAP remains fully committed to its mandate of promoting transparency, accountability, and good governance in Nigeria,” Dare stated.
He assured that the organisation would persist in challenging any attempts to restrict or silence credible civil society organizations in the country.
