Lagos Assembly Condemns DSS Blockade Of Its Offices & Chamber, Calls For Investigation

The Lagos State House of Assembly has strongly condemned the actions of the Department of State Security (DSS), which on Monday, January 17, 2025, locked key offices within the Assembly complex, including the chambers, preventing lawmakers from performing their legislative duties.

In a statement issued by the Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Strategy, and Security, Hon. (Otunba) Ogundipe Stephen Olukayode, the Assembly described the development as an infringement on its independence and a direct assault on democratic governance.

Lawmakers and Assembly staff who arrived at the complex earlier in the day were met with an unexpected blockade. The offices of the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker, and the Acting Clerk were sealed, and DSS operatives barred access to the legislative chamber itself.

The security agency later released to the public a letter from the Acting Clerk of the House, dated February 14, 2025, requesting enhanced security measures at the Assembly complex.

However, the lawmakers have swiftly refuted any suggestion that the request justified the siege.

“We wish to categorically state that this is not the first time the House has sought security support from the DSS,” the statement read. “However, in all previous instances, DSS operatives were stationed at the main gate of the Assembly complex, ensuring that unauthorized persons did not gain entry. At no point did the letter instruct the DSS to invade the legislative chamber, lock and restrict access to the Speaker’s office, or shut down the offices of the Deputy Speaker and the Acting Clerk.”

The lawmakers expressed concern that the DSS’s actions constituted undue interference in legislative affairs, undermining the sanctity of the Assembly.

“This act amounts to an infringement on the independence of the legislature and a direct assault on democratic governance,” the statement continued.

The crisis follows the recent removal of former Speaker Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa, a decision the lawmakers insist was a lawful and decisive step. They reaffirmed their support for the new Speaker, Rt. Hon. Mojisola Lasbat Meranda, and their commitment to the legislative progress of Lagos State.

“We stand firmly behind the leadership of Speaker Meranda and remain resolute in our commitment to enacting laws that foster the development and progress of Lagos State,” the statement declared.

The House has called on relevant authorities to investigate the incident and ensure that such disruptions to legislative activities do not recur. As tensions persist, the lawmakers maintain that the integrity of the Assembly must be protected, emphasizing that no external force should interfere with the constitutional mandate of the legislature.