By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
The Department of State Services (DSS) has threatened two prominent broadcast stations with lawsuit over what it described as false and malicious report against it by the organisations.
According to the security agency, Africa Independent Television (AIT) and Channels Television both aired false report against it on the crisis that rocked the Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday.
The broadcast stations had reported that the DSS “stormed/invaded” the assembly on Monday during the crisis.
But the security agency, through its lawyer, Chief Ayodeji Adedipe, SAN, said the agency was invited to beef up security and did not invade the assembly premises.
The two separate letters to the two broadcast stations dated February 17, 2025 read, “”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 18 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.
“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.”
It, therefore, demanded immediate retraction of the “defamatory publication and/or broadcast on all your news platforms.”
The agency also demanded that the retraction be accompanied by an apology which “must 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.”
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, “we shall, on behalf of our client, seek redress by pursuing both civil and criminal actions against your organization as your conduct also runs contrary to the provisions of the Nigeria’s Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act of 2015, as amended in 2024, without further reference to you.”
Tribune