The management of Guardian Newspapers Limited has issued an apology to the Department of State Services, DSS over a story that portrayed the secret police as interfering in the affairs of the Lagos State House of Assembly.

The story, captioned  “Lagos Assembly Crisis Worsens, Reveals Deeper Cracks in State Power Dynamics,” claimed that several DSS operatives had invaded the Lagos Assembly.

However, after receiving a letter from the DSS’s lead counsel, Adedipe and Adedipe demanding a retraction and apology, the newspaper acknowledged it had misrepresented the situation.

The Guardian explained that the Assembly management had actually invited DSS officers to provide security for the legislative facility, and the publication was made without any malicious intent towards the DSS.

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Once the error was realized, The Guardian published a follow-up story on February 24, 2025, titled “Lagos State Assembly Crisis: No Malice Against DSS,” where the newspaper retracted the earlier report and apologized.

The newspaper’s legal adviser, Eki Durojaiye, Esq., clarified that the mix-up was an innocent mistake with no intent to mislead the public or harm the DSS. The letter concluded with a formal apology to the DSS, expressing regret for any inconvenience caused by the original publication.

Credible News recalls that Channels Television and African Independent Television earlier offered similar retractions and apology on misrepresentations against the DSS while reporting what transpired at the Lagos House of Assembly on 18 February.

Crediblenewsng.com