Former Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, has refuted recent allegations that a cache of arms was discovered in his former office. In a press release issued on Wednesday, Obasa described the claims as “a complete concoction” and criticized the report as a “viral hatchet but lazy journalistic story.”
The contentious report, allegedly authored by a certain Tosin Oladeinde-Bada on February 18, 2025, suggested that security operatives assigned to the Assembly uncovered 47 pump-action rifles and live cartridges in the Speaker’s office during a routine sweep. The report further claimed that the Department of State Services (DSS) was notified and took custody of the arms for investigation.
Obasa, who was impeached on January 13, 2025, over allegations of gross misconduct and financial mismanagement , dismissed the report as a malicious attempt to tarnish his reputation. He emphasized that during his absence abroad from late December to mid-January, his office was forcibly accessed and searched by officials aligned with the new leadership, led by Speaker Mojisola Meranda.
“Immediately their sinister act was carried out while the House was on recess, my office (The Speaker’s Office) and the Assembly Chamber were forcefully broken into and thoroughly ransacked by their assigned officers,” Obasa stated. He further alleged that upon assuming office, Speaker Meranda conducted spiritual cleansing of the premises, indicating prior access and control over the space.
Obasa contended that the sudden claim of discovering arms in the office he vacated over a month ago is illogical and an afterthought. He likened it to the controversial discovery of a planted camera at the Lekki Toll Gate weeks after the End SARS protests.
He said: “I consider their purported sudden discovery of “cache of arms ammunition” in The Speaker’s office as nothing but an afterthought, having sensed the futility of their illegal actions. Now, their phantom evil story making the rounds is devoid of any logic and dead on arrival like the discovered planted camera at the Lekki Toll Gate, weeks after the End SARS protest brouhaha.”
The former Speaker also addressed previous allegations against him, including claims of constructing a gate for N16 billion and purchasing a Toyota Hilux truck for N40 billion, labeling them as “unsubstantiated, bogus claims.” He expressed confidence that the DSS, which has been involved at the behest of the current Assembly leadership, will uncover the truth behind these persistent attempts to defame him.
“What is next in their armory of blackmail? Is it to accuse me of harassment, rape, stealing or murder? I do not know what other blackmail and mischief my traducers may further be planning but all right thinking members of the public should know that their story is nothing but lies from the pit of hell.” Obasa said
As of now, the DSS has not released an official statement regarding the alleged discovery of arms in the Assembly complex. The Lagos State House of Assembly remains under the leadership of Speaker Mojisola Meranda, following Obasa’s impeachment last month.
