The Guardian in its publication of Tuesday, 18th February 2025 entitled: “Lagos Assembly crisis worsens, reveals deeper cracks in state’s power dynamics” (subject publication) reported the presence of officers of the Department of State Services (DSS) at the Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday, 17th February 2025. The report has elicited a response that The Guardian report gave an impression that the DSS presence at the scene was misrepresented. This impression is inadvertent and is thereby regretted.

It has come to light that the DSS acted within the ambit of its constitutional and statutory responsibilities of intelligence gathering for good governance, national security, and the upholding and enforcement of Nigeria’s criminal laws by intervening in the ongoing crisis rocking the Lagos State House of Assembly.

Precisely, the Acting Clerk of the House, Mr. A.T.R Ottun, in a letter dated 14th February 2025, to the Director of the DSS, requested security support for the security operative attached to the House from 16th February 2025. Accordingly, the presence of DSS officers was to forestall an imminent breakdown of law and order in the House of Assembly.

The Guardian wishes to clarify that their story in the issue is not actuated with malice against the DSS or any other law enforcement agency as the mix-up therein is unintentional. The entire report was based on eyewitness accounts (including some members of the House) obtained from sources available at the Lagos State House of Assembly.

Further, the reference to Mr. Ottun’s letter as controversial was not intended to create any false or misleading narrative, but rather to highlight the discrepancy between the content of the said letter and the stance of some lawmakers (who perhaps were ignorant of the existence of the letter at the material time) without any bad faith against the Lagos State House of Assembly or the DSS.

The Guardian holds the DSS in high esteem and will not intentionally or cause to do anything capable of undermining its operations, exposing it to public odium, and or lowering its reputation in the estimation of rational minds. Consequent to the foregoing, The Guardian hereby apologises and fully retracts the portion of the subject publication which erroneously reported, or mispresented, the presence of the operatives of the DSS at the Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday, 17th February 2024. The Guardian regrets any inconveniences the subject publication might have caused to the DSS or its management. The Guardian reaffirms its commitment to its philosophy of Conscience, Nurtured by Truth.