AIT, Channels TV apologise to DSS over report on Lagos assembly incident

Africa Independent Television (AIT) has tendered an apology to the Department of State Services (DSS) over a report alleging that its operatives invaded the Lagos state house of assembly on February 17.

The apology, issued during a live broadcast of its News Hour programme, comes after the DSS threatened legal action against Daar Communications PLC, owners of AIT, and the management of Channels Television on the “false, defamatory and malicious, report”.

The secret police also demanded a retraction and public apology from the media organisations.

In videos that made the rounds on social media on Monday, operatives of the DSS were seen in a physical struggle with the state’s lawmakers.

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 plenary.

Details later emerged that the DSS was officially invited to the assembly complex by the acting clerk  to assist in maintaining order following intelligence that Mudashiru Obasa, the ousted speaker, planned to resume office on February 18 — a move the house 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 through Ayodeji Adedipe, its legal representative, reads.

In its apology to DSS, AIT acknowledged that the information it broadcasted was incomplete and had unintentionally misrepresented the role of the DSS.

“AIT News wishes to apologise to the Department of State Services for the news item broadcast during our bulletin on Monday 17th February 2025, regarding the presence of DSS officers at the Lagos State House of Assembly,” the presenter said.

“Our intention was not to malign or embarrass the DSS, an institution we hold in the highest regard for its critical role in safeguarding our nation.

“Our reporting was based on eye-witness account obtained from sources available at the Lagos State House of Assembly. However, we recognise that the report may have been incomplete and unintentionally misrepresented the service and its presence at the State House of Assembly. We regret any embarrassment this may have caused.”

‘IT’S RIGHT TO APOLOGISE TO THE DSS’

Meanwhile, Seun Okinbaloye, host of Channels Television’s Politics Today, says the videos that circulated online caused the controversy on the presence of the DSS at the assembly complex.

Speaking when he featured Muhammed Ngoshe, former assistant director-general of the DSS on Friday’s edition of the programme, Okinbaloye said the videos were “made to appear as though the lawmakers were fighting to get inside and they were shocked that DSS was there”.

“That was one area that really caused a lot of controversy. They made it look like no one invited the service,” Okinbaloye said.

“I think it’s right to apologise to the service to say the use of invasion might not be the right word use. I think an apology is rightly to be placed on the doorstep of the DSS to say the use of invasion is probably not the right word to use and not to demean the role and effort of the DSS.”

Okinbaloye further thanked Nigeria’s security operatives for their efforts in protecting citizens, saying “wherever you may be, we salute you tonight. Well done”.