The former Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, has dismissed a viral report alleging that the Department of State Services (DSS) uncovered an arms cache in his former office.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Obasa described the report, purportedly authored on February 18, as "lazy journalism" and a deliberate attempt to tarnish his reputation.
Obasa strongly refuted the claims, calling them "a complete concoction" and alleging that they were sponsored by individuals attempting to malign his decades-long political and legislative career.
He accused the report’s author and sponsors of fabricating a defamatory story riddled with inconsistencies and unverified claims.
Obasa's Response to the Allegations
"The ill-conceived story, apart from being a complete fabrication, exposes its author and paymasters as malicious and low-intelligence operatives seeking to damage my hard-earned reputation spanning decades of political leadership and legislative service.
"In their haste to criminally defame me, they have left many gaps in their narrative, with apparent questions begging for answers."
Obasa pointed out that the report failed to establish credible sources and omitted key facts. He argued that the supposed discovery was a calculated smear campaign following his controversial removal from office.
According to him, the House had previously written a letter through what he termed a "non-existent Acting Clerk’s position," falsely alleging that he was planning to storm the Assembly complex. He claimed that the DSS was voluntarily invited by the House leadership and that the narrative changed when the move backfired.
Denial of Arms Discovery Claim
"It is public knowledge that I traveled abroad towards the end of December and returned in mid-January, by which time the legislative 'coupists' had illegally supplanted my leadership of the House—a matter that is currently before the court of law for adjudication," he stated.
Obasa further alleged that after his removal, his office and the Assembly chambers were forcibly broken into and searched, but nothing incriminating was found at the time. He also claimed that the new Speaker, Mojisola Meranda, engaged in spiritual cleansing of the office with prayer warriors upon taking over.
"I consider their purported sudden discovery of a 'cache of arms and ammunition' in the Speaker’s office as nothing but an afterthought, having sensed the futility of their illegal actions," he asserted.
Dismissal of Additional Allegations
The former Speaker also accused his detractors of spreading several other unfounded allegations against him, including claims that he constructed a gate for N16 billion and purchased a Toyota Hilux truck for N40 billion.
He alleged that certain individuals had been attempting to extract incriminating information from his aides in a bid to blackmail him, vowing that justice would prevail.
"The Department of State Services’ involvement, again at their voluntary invitation, will unravel those behind my incessant blackmail since their sponsored story claimed their ‘discovery’ has been reported for immediate action," he stated.
Obasa concluded by warning that he anticipated further attempts to smear his image, suggesting that his detractors could soon resort to even more extreme allegations such as harassment, rape, or theft.
"At this point, all right-thinking members of the public should know that their story is nothing but lies from the pit of hell," he declared.
