Three officials of the Lagos State House of Assembly who were arrested for assaulting officers of the Department of State Services during the recent leadership crisis that rocked the legislative house have apologised to the service.
The Assembly, in a letter dated February 14, 2025, and signed by the acting clerk, Babatunde Ottun, had invited the DSS to beef up security at the Assembly.
According to the letter with reference number LSHA/FAD/0/7554/323, the acting Clerk begged the DSS to secure the facility “from February 15 till further notice.”
However, when DSS operatives arrived at the Assembly, some workers at the facility clashed with them, including the three.
Relying on the CCTV footage, the DSS arrested the Assembly workers and filed charges against them, including assault.
In separate letters of apology dated March 28, 2025, a public affairs officer at the Assembly, Ibrahim Olarenwaju, and two officers with the Sergeant-at-Arms, Adetola Oluwatosin and Adetu Adekunle, told the DSS Director General, Adeola Ajayi, that they were sorry for their actions.
The letters were routed through the State Director of Security, Lagos State Command.
“I, Ibrahim Olarenwaju hereby tender my unreserved apology for any act or omission that I might have caused your distinguished office (the DSS) and personnel in the course of my duty at the hallowed chamber of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Alausa, on February 17, 2025,” one of the letters, addressed to the DSS Director General, read.
In the letters by the three Assembly workers, they promised the secret police to be of good conduct and refrain from any future acts that could undermine their personnel.
In February, the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, also apologised to the DSS and the Nigerian Police Force for the attack on their officers at the Assembly on February 17.
He described the assault as unfortunate.