DSS Threatens Legal Action Against Daar Communications Over Alleged ‘False Report’ On Lagos Assembly Crisis
The Department of State Services (DSS) has issued a legal threat against Daar Communications PLC, owners of Africa Independent Television (AIT), over a report alleging that its operatives invaded the Lagos State House of Assembly on February 17, 2025.
According to the DSS, the report claimed that its officers attempted to block lawmakers, including Speaker Mojisola Meranda, from accessing the legislative chamber for a plenary session.
In a letter addressed to Daar Communications PLC on Monday, the DSS, through its legal counsel Ayodeji Adedipe, dismissed the report as “false, defamatory, and malicious.”
The agency clarified that its presence at the assembly complex was based on an official request from the acting clerk, who, in a letter dated February 14, 2025, sought security reinforcement following intelligence reports suggesting that former Speaker Mudashiru Obasa planned to resume office on February 18—a move seen as a potential security threat.
“Without verifying the reason for our presence, your organization falsely broadcast—on both television and print media—that our client had ‘invaded’ or ‘stormed’ the Lagos State House of Assembly to prevent lawmakers from entering the chamber for plenary,” the DSS letter reads.
The secret police argued that the AIT report wrongly painted the agency as a reckless and lawless entity, attempting to interfere in a political conflict.
As part of its demands, the DSS has asked AIT to retract the report and issue a public apology, which must be aired five times daily for three consecutive days across all its media platforms, including social media.
Similarly, the agency has also issued a legal warning to Channels Television over a similar report, demanding a retraction and public apology under the same conditions as those imposed on Daar Communications.
The DSS warned that failure to comply within seven days could result in legal action, citing provisions of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act of 2015, as amended in 2024.
The Lagos State House of Assembly has been embroiled in a leadership crisis following the January 13 impeachment of former Speaker Mudashiru Obasa, who was accused of financial misconduct.
Mojisola Meranda was subsequently elected as the first female Speaker of the Lagos Assembly. However, upon his return to Nigeria, Obasa rejected the impeachment, claiming due process was not followed and insisting that he remains the legitimate Speaker.
The unfolding events have fueled tensions within the legislative chamber, with security agencies now caught in the political storm.
