Three individuals arrested for allegedly assaulting Department of State Services (DSS) officers during the February 18 crisis at the Lagos State House of Assembly have been released.
According to reports, the suspects—Ibrahim Olanrewaju Abdulkareem, a photographer, along with Adetu Adekunle Samsudeen and Adetola Oluwatosin Fatimoh, both attached to the Assembly’s Sergeant-at-Arms—were granted bail following the intervention of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana.
Confirming their release on Sunday morning, Falana told SaharaReporters that he had personally reached out to the DSS Director General, who approved their bail. “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,” Falana said.
The arrests stemmed from a request by the Lagos Assembly leadership for heightened security amid reports of a potential power struggle.
In a letter dated February 14, 2025, signed by Acting Clerk A.T.B. Ottun, the Assembly directed the DSS to enforce strict access control at the legislative complex from February 15 until further notice.
The request followed intelligence reports suggesting that supporters of former Speaker Mudashiru Obasa were allegedly mobilizing to reinstate him by force.
CCTV footage analysis reportedly led security agencies to identify, track, and arrest the three individuals at various locations across Lagos.
The crisis at the Lagos Assembly erupted when Speaker Mudashiru Obasa was removed and replaced by Hon. Mojisola Meranda. Tensions escalated as Obasa’s supporters clashed with security forces stationed at the Assembly complex.
The DSS and other security agencies had been deployed to prevent disruptions, but reports indicate that some lawmakers and political loyalists allegedly mobilized supporters, leading to a confrontation that resulted in an attack on DSS operatives.
