Nigeria’s secret police, the Department of State Services (DSS), has warned it will sue two major TV stations over their coverage of the Lagos State Assembly crisis.
The DSS claims that Africa Independent Television and Channels Television made false and damaging reports about its role in events at the Assembly on February 17. Through its lawyer, Adedeji Adedipe, the DSS says it was only helping other security forces and didn’t do anything wrong.
The agency wants both TV stations to take back their reports and say sorry on air for three days straight. If they don’t do this within a week, the DSS says it will take them to court under Nigeria’s cybercrime laws.
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In a letter dated February 17, 2025, and titled ‘False, Defamatory and Malicious Publication Concerning the State Security Service (aka DSS) Regarding Their Presence at the Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday, February 17, 2025,’ the Service demanded a retraction of the story and an apology.
The senior lawyer stated that should the media houses fail to broadcast apologies on their respective channels five times a day for three consecutive days within seven days of receiving the letter, the DSS would have no option but to seek redress in court.
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According to counsel, despite clear fears that hoodlums could attack the lawmakers, leading the Clerk of the Assembly to invite the DSS and police to help secure the Assembly, the media houses still went ahead to report that their operatives invaded the Assembly Gestapo-style.
The letter dated February 17, 2025 and addressed to the Chairman of Daar Communications Limited, reads, “We act as solicitors to the State Security Service (A.K.A. DSS) who is hereinafter referred to as our client and on whose instruction this letter is written to you.
“Our client’s attention was drawn to your publication which was aired repeatedly both on the news bulletin and the news bar of AIT’s’ Channel on the 17th of February, 2025.
“In the said publication, it was reported that the State Security Service also known as Department of State Service (DSS) invaded the Lagos State Assembly and attempted to prevent the members of the Assembly and the speaker of the House, Rt Hon. Mojisola Meranda, from entering the chamber for plenary session.
“The above publication was equally repeated in your online news media edited by one Paul Akhagbemhe, also published on the 17th of February, 2025. First, it must be stated that our client, in carrying out its core statutory mandate of collection of intelligence for good governance and national safety and upholding and enforcing criminal laws of Nigeria, was invited to the Lagos State House of Assembly, vide a letter dated 14th February, 2025, written to it by the Acting Clerk of the said State House of Assembly. A copy of the letter is herewith attached.
“Our client was invited by the acting Clerk to come and support the Security Operatives attached to the Lagos State House of Assembly, from Sunday, 16th of February, 2025, in order to forestall an imminent break down of law and order, following the information that the former Speaker of the House of Assembly, Rt Hon. Obasa planned to resume office on the 18th of February, 2025, a plan which he (the acting clerk) believed poses a potential security threat to the Assembly and its members.
“However, without any verification of the reason for the presence of our client’s officials at the Lagos State House of Assembly on the 17th of February, 2025, your organization maliciously and falsely broadcast, both on your news bulletin and print media, that our client had invaded/stormed the Lagos State House of Assembly with a view to preventing the members and speaker from entering the chamber for plenary.
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“By this publication, our client which is a highly responsible and respected organization, was portrayed as an irresponsible and reckless organization, who in a Gestapo manner invaded/stormed the Lagos State House of Assembly, to support one of the feuding parties and to desecrate the hallowed chambers.
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