The Department of State Services (DSS) has issued a strong warning to Daar Communications PLC, the parent company of Africa Independent Television (AIT), threatening legal action over what it described as a “false, defamatory, and malicious” report concerning its activities at the Lagos State House of Assembly.
The controversy arose from a report aired by AIT, which alleged that DSS operatives stormed the assembly complex on February 17, 2025, in an attempt to prevent lawmakers, including Speaker Mojisola Meranda, from accessing the chamber for a plenary session.
In a letter addressed to Daar Communications on Monday, DSS legal representative Ayodeji Adedipe refuted the claim, stating that DSS operatives were officially invited by the acting clerk of the assembly in a letter dated February 14.
According to the DSS, the request was made in response to intelligence indicating that former Speaker Mudashiru Obasa planned to forcibly resume office on February 18—a move the assembly leadership viewed as a security risk.
“Without any verification of the reason for the presence of our officials at the Lagos State House of Assembly, your organization maliciously and falsely broadcast, both on your news bulletin and print media, that our client had invaded the complex to prevent members and the speaker from entering the chamber for plenary,” the letter read.
READ ALSO: DSS links presence at Lagos Assembly to Obasa’s alleged reinstatement plot
The DSS argued that AIT’s report misrepresented the agency, painting it as an “irresponsible and reckless organization” acting in a “Gestapo manner” to support one faction in the ongoing political crisis at the assembly.
As part of its demands, the DSS has instructed 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.
However, Daar Communications was not the only media house to receive such a warning. The DSS also wrote to Channels Television, citing similar grievances and demanding an identical retraction and apology.
Failure to comply within seven days, the DSS warned, could result in legal action under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act of 2015, as amended in 2024.
The DSS’ intervention in the Lagos Assembly crisis is part of a broader political drama that has engulfed the state legislature in recent months.
Meranda became the first female speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly on January 13, following the impeachment of Obasa while he was out of the country.
Obasa, a long-serving lawmaker, was removed over allegations of financial misconduct. However, upon his return to Nigeria, he rejected the impeachment, insisting that due process was not followed and maintaining that he remains the legitimate speaker.
His defiance has escalated tensions within the assembly, raising concerns about possible clashes between rival factions.
The DSS’ presence at the legislative complex was reportedly aimed at preventing any breakdown of law and order—an assertion the security agency maintains was misrepresented in reports.