Lagos Assembly: DSS Threatens Legal Action Media Over Reports | ClipTV Online

Department of State Services (DSS) has issued a strong warning to Africa Independent Television (AIT) and Channels Television. DSS threatened a legal action over what it described as false and malicious reports regarding its involvement in the ongoing Lagos State House of Assembly crisis.

Through its legal counsel, Adedeji Adedipe (SAN), DSS has sent formal letters to the two broadcast stations. It has demanded an immediate retraction of their reports and a public apology for their alleged misrepresentation of the service’s actions during the political turmoil in Lagos.

DSS Claims

According to the letter dated February 17, 2025, and signed by Adedipe, the DSS insists that its role in the crisis was purely supportive to existing security agencies and that it did not engage in any unlawful interference. The agency also emphasized that the reports aired by the two stations misrepresented the facts and tarnished its image in the public domain.

The controversy stems from the events of February 17, when concerns arose over the possible return of former Speaker Mudashiru Obasa. Multiple reports, later, suggested that DSS operatives played a direct role in the crisis. This is a claim the security agency has now vehemently however denied.

DSS Demands

The DSS, in its formal demand, has requested both AIT and Channels TV to issue:

An immediate retraction of the alleged defamatory reports across all their media platforms.

DSS has also requested a public apology, to be aired a minimum of five times daily for three consecutive days. Stated that this should be across all television and social media platforms owned by both stations.

The agency has warned that failure to comply within seven days will result in civil and criminal proceedings against both media houses. The DSS specifically cited provisions in the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act of 2015, which was amended in 2024, as the legal framework under which it intends to prosecute the case.

Legal Notice

“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:”

1. An immediate retraction of your defamatory publication and/or broadcast on all your news platforms.
2. 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 news channels and platforms, including all the social media handles to which your media house has a 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 Nigeria’s Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act of 2015, as amended in 2024, without further reference to you.”

The Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) has yet to issue an official statement on the matter.