A Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the detention of three Lagos State House of Assembly employees by the Department of State Services (DSS) for allegedly assaulting its officers.
The individuals—identified as Ibrahim Olanrewaju Abdulkareem, Adetu Adekunle Samsudeen, and Fatimoh Oluwatosin Adetola—were initially arrested following an incident on February 17, 2025, at the Assembly complex. They were released on bail on Saturday night after Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Femi Falana, intervened. However, during a court session on Tuesday, Justice Daniel Osiagor ordered their remand after DSS counsel, Mr. Michael Bajela, requested their arraignment, stating the need to review the case file before proceeding.
According to the charge sheet (FHC/L/273C/2025) dated February 24, 2025, the DSS alleges that the defendants, along with others still at large, conspired to assault DSS officers performing their official duties without valid justification. The charges also include cyberstalking, accusing the defendants of recording and disseminating false information on social media to incite public disorder. Specifically, the DSS claims that Abdulkareem and Samsudeen used electronic devices to record and share misleading content intended to discredit the agency and provoke unrest.
The alleged offenses are said to contravene Section 516 of the Criminal Code Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, and Sections 27(1)(b), 24(1)(b), 24(c)(i), and 11 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015 (as amended), 2024.
Mr. Falana confirmed the initial release of the individuals, stating, “I intervened by contacting the Director General of the State Security Service. Upon our intervention, the DG ordered that they be granted bail. They met the bail conditions and were released last night.”
The arrests stem from a request by the Lagos Assembly for enhanced security at the complex, detailed in a letter dated February 14, 2025, signed by Acting Clerk A.T.B. Ottun. The letter instructed the DSS to implement strict access control at the Assembly complex from February 15 until further notice. This request followed intelligence reports suggesting that loyalists of the ousted Speaker, Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, were planning to forcefully reinstate him. Subsequently, some lawmakers mobilized supporters to the Assembly complex, leading to an altercation with DSS officers present to secure the facility.
A leaked memo dated February 14, 2025, from the Lagos Assembly to the DSS Director and other security agency heads in the state, indicated credible intelligence that Hon. Mudashiru Obasa planned to forcefully reinstate himself on February 18, 2025. The Assembly management viewed this as a potential security threat, prompting the deployment of DSS officers to strengthen security at the complex.
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