The Federal High Court in Lagos has granted bail to three staff members of the Lagos State House of Assembly who were accused of assaulting operatives of the Department of State Services.
Justice Daniel Osiagor set bail at three million naira for each defendant, with a requirement that they provide a Level 16 civil servant as surety. The DSS did not oppose the bail application, and the defendants were represented by a lawyer from Femi Falana’s chambers.
The three accused persons are Ibrahim Olanrewaju, Adetu Adekunle, and Fatimoh Adetola.
According to the DSS charge sheet, marked FHC/L/273C/2026 and filed on February 26, 2025, the defendants and others still at large allegedly:
– Obstructed DSS officers from performing their official duties at the Lagos State House of Assembly on February 17, 2025.
– Recorded and circulated false information online to incite unrest and embarrass the DSS.
– Used mobile devices, specifically an iPhone 12 Pro Max and a Tecno POP 8, to spread misleading content aimed at disrupting public order.
The DSS stated that the charges against them contravened:
– Section 516 of the Criminal Code Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
– Sections 27(1)(b), 24(1)(b), 24(c)(i), and 11 of the Cybercrimes Act, 2015, as amended in 2024.
Their arrests followed a confrontation between DSS operatives and Assembly staff during a February 17 operation at the Lagos Assembly, which is currently entangled in a leadership dispute.
Former Speaker Mudashiru Obasa was recently removed and replaced by his deputy, Mojisola Meranda, but he has refused to accept the change, describing it as unconstitutional and challenging it in court.
The court has fixed March 24, 2025, for the commencement of the trial.
