Channels TV, AIT apologise to DSS over reports on Lagos Assembly crisis
Channels Television and Africa Independent Television have apologised publicly to the Department of State Services(DSS) following their reports regarding the agency’s appearance during the Lagos Assembly crisis on February 17.
AIT News retracted their initial report in an official statement during its News Hour program.
It clarified that its reportage was based on eyewitness accounts but acknowledged that the information was however incomplete and had unintentionally misrepresented the intervention of the DSS.
It said: “AIT News wishes to apologise to the Department of State Services for the news item broadcast during our bulletin on Monday 17th February 2025, regarding the presence of DSS at the Lagos State House of Assembly.
“Our intention was not to malign or embarrass the DSS, an institution we hold in the highest regard for its critical role in safeguarding our nation.
“Our reporting was based on eye-witness account obtained from sources available at the Lagos State House of Assembly. However, we recognize that the report may have been incomplete and unintentionally misrepresented the service and its presence at the State House of Assembly. We regret any embarrassment this may have caused.”
Channels TV on their part also tendered apology during its ‘Politics Today’ programme hosted by Seun Okinbaloye, with the former Assistant Director-General of the DSS, Muhammed Ngoshe, as guest.
“It came to light in some of the letters that we actually now saw that it was the clerk of the Lagos Assembly who actually wrote for DSS protection at the House of Assembly. But if you look at the video, it was made to appear as though the lawmakers were fighting to get inside and they were shocked that DSS was there.
“I think it’s right to apologise to the service to say the use of invasion might not be the right word to use because it was portrayed as though the DSS invaded, they were not invited, but it came to light that there was no decency in how they carried out their work.
“In the real sense of it, it happened that they invited the DSS. I think an apology is right to be placed on the doorstep of the DSS to say the use of ‘invasion’ is probably not the right word to use and not to demean the role and the effort of the DSS, that was not the right word to use.”
DSS had before now threatened a lawsuit against both media stations, accusing them of publishing false and malicious reports.
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