By Lukman Olabiyi
The Department of State Security (DSS) has released all members of the Lagos State House of Assembly who were detained in connection with a petition written by former Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa.
Over 30 lawmakers were reportedly grilled for more than six hours yesterday, regarding a petition filed by Obasa over his removal as Speaker on January 13.
The DSS investigation followed Obasa’s claims that his ousting was politically motivated and involved misconduct, abuse of office and financial mismanagement.
Despite the lengthy questioning, all the detained lawmakers were released by 7pm, yesterday.
After their release, the lawmakers chose not to provide any details about the nature of the questioning or the petition itself. Instead, they described the encounter with the DSS as a “friendly visit” and indicated that the issue would be formally addressed in due course on the floor of the House.
Obasa, who had been Speaker since 2015, was removed by a majority vote of the lawmakers on January 13, 2025, amid serious allegations of misconduct.
His removal came during a period when he was absent from Nigeria, having traveled to the United States.
Upon his return to Lagos on Saturday, Obasa strongly rejected the corruption allegations leveled against him and criticized the process that led to his ouster.
He urged the lawmakers to follow the “right process” in addressing his removal while maintaining that he had been unfairly targeted.
Obasa’s removal and the ongoing political tensions have sparked significant controversy in the Lagos State political landscape, with calls for transparency in how leadership changes are handled within the legislative body.
The situation remains fluid, and it is expected that further developments will unfold in the coming days, with lawmakers set to discuss the matter publicly in the Assembly.