The management of Tribune and Blueprint newspapers have tendered an apology to the Department of State Services (DSS) for wrongfully reporting that its officers invaded the Lagos State House of Assembly.
In the wake of the leadership crisis that rocked the Lagos Assembly, some media houses had wrongly reported that DSS officers invaded the Assembly.
However, it later emerged that, fearing that there could be a breakdown of law and order, it was the Assembly management that invited the secret police to provide security.
Following the publication of the stories, the legal counsel to the DSS, Chief Ayodeji Adedipe, SAN, wrote the media houses that carried the erroneous stories, demanding a retraction of the stories and an apology.
Some of the media houses, including the African Independent Television (AIT) and Channels Television, had already tendered apologies publicly to the DSS while the Service has concluded plans on pursuit of legal action against unapologetic media outfits including Lagos Television.
However, while responding to the request by the DSS counsel, Tribune newspapers said it was misled into believing that the DSS operatives actually invaded the Assembly but retracted the stories upon realizing the true position.
Tribune Newspapers in a letter dated March 19, 2025, signed by Wole Efunnuga, head legal of the African Newspapers of Nigeria, publishers of Tribune newspapers stated; “We write in respect of the above matter and wish to report back to you that in compliance with your demands for Retraction and Apology in all the media handles where Tribune has its presence, the company has complied accordingly.
“The Saturday Tribune of February 22, 2025, on its page 23, published the said Retraction and Apology. See annexure 1 attached. On Sunday, 23rd February 2025, the Sunday Tribune published the same Apology and Retraction on page 5. See annexure 2 attached,” Efunnuga said.
He further said that on Monday, February 24, 2025, the Nigerian Tribune equally published the Apology and Retraction on page 19. See annexure 3 attached.
“These are four handles where Tribune has its presence, and the four of them have complied with your demands, Sir. We are grateful for your kind consideration in this regard”.
Similarly, the Blueprint Newspapers in its own “letter of Retraction and Apology”, expressed regret that, it reported that the DSS locked the offices of the Lagos Assembly Speaker and his deputy, in the bid to prevent members from gaining access.
The letter signed by Clement Oluwole, Editorial Director of the newspapers, stated; “We have since realized that the presence of your client (DSS operatives) at the premises of the Assembly was at the behest of the acting Clerk vide a letter dated 14111 of February, 2025, to support security operatives attached to the complex in order to forestall an imminent breakdown of law and order
“We know the implications of bringing such a critical Institution to disrepute and public ridicule. By this letter, we fully retract the publication.
“We sincerely apologize to DSS and also regret the embarrassment the misleading publication might have caused the organization, as no malice, whatsoever, was intended,” the newspaper director said.
