The Department of State Services (DSS) has threatened legal action 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 alleged that its operatives attempted to prevent lawmakers, including Mojisola Meranda, the assembly speaker, from accessing the chamber for a plenary session.
In a letter addressed to Daar Communications PLC on Monday, the DSS, through its legal representative, Ayodeji Adedipe, described the report as “false, defamatory and malicious”.
The secret police agency said it was officially invited to the assembly complex by the acting clerk through a letter dated February 14, 2025, to assist in maintaining order following intelligence that Mudashiru Obasa, the former speaker, planned to resume office on February 18—a move the legislative chamber believed posed a security risk.
“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,” the letter reads.
“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.
“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.”
Meanwhile, the agency also wrote to the management of Channels Television on the same “false, defamatory and malicious, report,” demanding a retraction and public apology as applicable to Daar Communications PLC.
The DSS warned that failure to comply within seven days could lead to legal action, citing provisions of the Cybercrimes (prohibition, prevention, etc.) Act of 2015, as amended in 2024.
Meranda became the first female speaker of the Lagos assembly on January 13, after Obasa was impeached while he was out of the country.
Obasa was alleged to have been involved in financial misconduct. 
Upon his return to the country, he insisted that due process was not followed and maintained that he was still the legitimate speaker.
