DSS: Court Strikes Out Charges Against Lagos Assembly Staff

Justice Daniel Osiagor of the Federal High Court in Lagos on Tuesday struck out the six criminal charges filed against three legislative staff of the Lagos State House of Assembly, who allegedly assaulted some operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).

Justice Osiagor throughout the six-count charge after the DSS lawyer, Mohammed Bajela, withdrew it.

The intelligence agency had arraigned the legislative staff, Ibrahim Olanrewaju, Adetu Adekunle, and Fatimoh Adetola before the court in February over allegations of conspiring to assault officers of the State Security Service while they were performing their official duties without any reasonable excuse.

The agency had alleged that on February 17, 2025, at the Lagos State House of Assembly, the three defendants aided and abetted each other in obstructing the officers of the State Security Service while they were carrying out their duties without just cause.

The DSS further accused the defendants of cyberstalking by recording and disseminating false information on social media to cause a public breakdown of law and order.

The agency stated that the defendants allegedly conspired to commit a felony by willfully misdirecting electronic messages to social media to embarrass the State Security Service and its officials.

The DSS also claimed that the defendants used an iPhone 12 Pro Max to record false information and post it on social media for circulation, with the intent of causing embarrassment to the State Security Service and inciting a breakdown of law and order.

The offence allegedly violated sections 516 of the Criminal Code Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, as well as sections 27(1)(b), 24(1)(b), 24(c)(i), and 11 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015 (as amended), 2024.

The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Although the prosecutor did not give any reason for withdrawing the charges, sources with knowledge of the development indicate that the DSS withdrew the charges following the intervention of notable figures in Lagos politics.

The source also disclosed that the defendants’ decision to write separate letters of apology to the Director General of the SSS, promising to refrain from any future acts of criminality, also contributed to the decision.