Thirty-six of the 40-member Lagos House of Assembly have resolved to stand firmly behind the Speaker Mojisola Lasbat Meranda.

The decision of the 36 members, who gathered at the assembly garden on Thursday afternoon, followed the ousted Obasa’s forceful takeover of the office of the speaker.

The lawmakers, who had earlier on February 17, passed a vote of confidence on Meranda, dared all consequences to stand by their earlier decision.

A lawmaker who pleaded anonymity, said he and his other colleagues are resolved to ensure that their decision to remove Obasa stands.

“He was not elected speaker from his constituency. We all endured his master-slave relationship for close to 10 years. Now, we have said enough is enough and we are not looking back,” the lawmaker said.

Meanwhile, two out of 39 other lawmakers, Ayinde Akinsanya, popularly called, Osmak, representing Mushin Constituency 1, and Noheem Adams, representing Mushin Constituency II, have been spotted accompanying Obasa to the complex.

As at the time of filing this report, the doors to the office of the Speaker had been forced open by Obasa loyalists, with huge-chestesd men scattered over strategic places in the complex.

Also, some armed men, who accompanied Obasa to the complex were seen making threatening remarks, and vowing to take possession of all the offices in the complex.

The access roads to the complex have been taken over by people suspected to be Obasa’s loyalists who arrived the scene in unmarked Kombi buses .

Motorists are being forced to drive through alternative routes as all entrances have been blocked to traffic.

Details later..

Ahead of the reported change of leadership of the Lagos State House of Assembly, security details of the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Mojisola Meranda, has been withdrawn, reports Society Reporters.

A source in the Assembly revealed this to us, saying the decision to withdraw her security details may not be unconnected with the decision to replace her as the Speaker of the Assembly.

…developing story

A coalition of civil society organisations for human rights in a press conference on Wednesday has alleged human rights violations, torture and institution of arbitrary and illegal detention centre by Chief Oweizidei Thomas Ekpemupolo aka Tompolo and his Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited in the Niger Delta region.

The CSOs after a peaceful protest at Shoprite, Alausa, Lagos issued a statement signed by the Convener, Comrade Abe Emmanuel to call upon President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to investigate the allegations with a view to nipping the seeds of such atrocities in the bud. The coalition added that ever since the current government came on board it has made its determination to reset Nigeria its cornerstone, of which the cardinal principle rests not only on economic reforms and the placing of the economy on sound footing, but also on promotion of human rights, rule of law and due process.

It noted that “From the word ‘go’, your administration has shown promised of renewed hope.

This hope is not centered on economic and infrastructural

development alone, but also on human capital development; and

protection of human rights is an integral part of this development.

We believe as a civil society organisation that for the fortunes of

Nigeria to move progressively the later part of this defined

development must be protected and harnessed. This putsch forms

the hallmark of today’s briefing.”

“The Coalition of Civil Society Organisations for Human Rights is

a coalition convened to advocate for monitoring and defense human

rights across the length and breathe of the Federation of Nigeria.”

The coalition says it has received countless petitions and reports of torture, arbitrary arrest and detention of innocent citizens in an illegal centre, wondering if such trend of torture is part of the duty and brief of Tantilla Security Services which is solely contracted to protect pipelines.

The coalition named Jolomi Abechukwu from Tisin Community who

according to him was arrested alongside his friend Bade and taken

into captivity in Oporoza where the alleged camp and illegal

detention facilities of the Tantita security are located. They were

arrested on 2nd of December, 2024 and released in January, 2025.

“As law abiding youths of Nigeria, we do not want to believe that the

pipeline surveillance contract, gives impetus to the security

company to arrogate arrest and detention powers reserved only for

the security apparatchik of Nigeria.

These unlawful arrests violate the express provisions of chapter iv of

the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as

amended) and the express provisions of the African Charter on

Human and People’s Rights.

We are drawing the attention of the federal government to this

anomaly with call on international organisations to help protect the

rights of Nigerian youths spread across Nigeria because if this

situation is not investigated and arrested, Youths living in the Niger

Delta region will continue to suffer the inhumane and

unconstitutional treatment meted out by the Tantita Security

Services Limited.”

“Lastly, we do not want to believe that the President Bola Ahmed

Tinubu led administration which is fast building a reputation for due

process, is aware of these heinous crimes against humanity.

The group urged President Bola Tinubu to look into the allegations with dispatch as to save innocent citizens from the arbitrariness of the Tantilla Security Services.