Lagos assembly crisis: DSS threatens to sue AIT, Channels TV

The Department of State Services has threatened to take legal action against Africa Independent Television and Channels Television over their reports on the involvement of the service in the Lagos Assembly crisis.

The DSS described the reportage by the broadcast stations as false and malicious.

In a letter to the stations by its lawyer, Adedeji Adedipe (SAN), the DSS alleged that the stations misrepresented its actions during a tense period on February 17, 2025, when concerns arose over the possible return of former Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa.

Adedipe stated that the DSS role was purely to support existing security forces, and it did not engage in any unlawful activities

The DSS demanded an immediate retraction of the reports and a public apology to be broadcast across all platforms for three consecutive days.

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The service, however, warned that failure to comply within seven days would prompt civil and criminal legal actions against the stations under Nigeria’s Cybercrimes Act

The letter dated February 17 read, “Your publication and/or broadcast has greatly injured the character of our client and tarnished and lowered its esteemed image in the eyes of the public.

“Having regard to the fact that your broadcast was false and coupled with the fact that, you did not ensure balancing in your report, as enjoined by the ethics of journalism, our client has instructed us to demand the following:

“a. An immediate retraction of your defamatory publication and/or broadcast on all your news platforms.

“b. The retraction shall be accompanied by an apology which must be published for at least five (5) 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.

“Please note that, should you fail, to comply with the above demands within a period of seven days after the delivery of this letter to you, 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.”