*The Department of State Service demands immediate retraction of the ‘defamatory publication and/or broadcast’ on Africa Independent Television and Channels TV with an apology that ‘must be published for at least five times daily for three consecutive days, and possible ‘civil and criminal actions’ against them, in line with Nigeria鈥檚 Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act of 2015, as amended in 2024

Isola Moses | 绿帽献妻

In what some have described as possible ‘terminological inexactitude’ on the part of the reporters of the two broadcast stations, the Department of State Service (DSS) has threatened the Africa Independent Television (AIT) and Channels Television with lawsuit over what the DSS has described as “false and malicious” report against it by the media organisations on the recent crisis rocking the Lagos State House of Assembly (LSHA), at Alausa-Ikeja.

The DSS has alleged that AIT and Channels TV both aired a false report against the agency Monday, February 17, 2025.

The affected broadcast stations were said to have reported that the DSS 鈥渟tormed/invaded鈥� the Lagos Assembly during the crisis on Monday.

However, the Nigerian secret police through Chief Ayodeji Adedipe, SAN, its lawyer, maintained that the LSHA invited the DSS to beef up security of lives and property within the complex, and did not “invade” or “storm” the Assembly premises as the two media stations reported the crisis.

In the two separate letters to AIT and Channels TV, dated February 17, 2025, the DSS legal counsel wrote: 鈥淔irst, 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.

鈥淥ur 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 18 of February, 2025, a plan which he (the Acting Clerk) believed poses a potential security threat to the Assembly and its members.”

Adedipe also stated: 鈥淗owever, without any verification of the reason for the presence of our client鈥檚 officials at the Lagos State House of Assembly on the 17th of February, 2025, your organisation 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.

鈥淏y this publication, our client which is a highly responsible and respected organisation, was portrayed as an irresponsible and reckless organisation, 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.鈥�

The DSS, therefore, demanded immediate retraction of the 鈥渄efamatory publication and/or broadcast on all your news platforms.鈥�

The agency also demanded that the retraction be accompanied by an apology which 鈥渕ust be published for at least five times daily for three consecutive days on all your new channels and platforms, including all the social media handles to which your media House has its presence.鈥�

It warned that if the organisations fail to comply with the demands within a period of seven days after the delivery of the letter to them, 鈥渨e shall, on behalf of our client, seek redress by pursuing both civil and criminal actions against your organisation as your conduct also runs contrary to the provisions of the Nigeria鈥檚 Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act of 2015, as amended in 2024, without further reference to you.鈥�