The brazen invasion of the Lagos State House of Assembly by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) is yet another tragic confirmation of how far Nigeria has descended into lawlessness under a corrupt and oppressive government. It is a shameful reminder that those in power no longer respect democratic institutions or the will of the people. What happened at the Lagos Assembly is not just an attack on lawmakers; it is an attack on democracy itself, an indication that those who control the state see governance as a personal fiefdom rather than a responsibility to serve the people.
The events that unfolded on Monday morning were shocking. Heavily armed DSS operatives stormed the Assembly complex, took over the chambers, and attempted to prevent lawmakers and staff from entering. This blatant show of force was a clear attempt to intimidate and suppress, a move that signals that Nigeria’s security agencies are no longer protectors of the people but enforcers of political interests. It was an outright “rape of democracy,” as some legislators rightly described it.
For years, voices like Omoyele Sowore have been warning that Nigeria is sitting on a time bomb. The country is immensely wealthy, yet its people live in extreme poverty while the ruling elite continue to loot the nation’s resources. Corruption has drained Nigeria to zero, leaving behind a system that only benefits a select few while the masses suffer. What happened at the Lagos Assembly is yet another indication that this system cannot be reformed from within—it must be completely dismantled.
The DSS, which should be upholding the law, has now become a gang of political thugs, doing the bidding of those who want to silence opposition and suppress democratic processes. Their actions at the Lagos Assembly were not about national security; they were about power and control. When a supposedly democratic government starts using force to dictate who sits in a legislative house, democracy ceases to exist. This is not governance—it is dictatorship in disguise.
The lawmakers who spoke out against the invasion were right to express outrage. Hon. Kehinde Joseph called it an “injury to democracy,” while Majority Leader Hon. Adewale Temitope described the event as unforgettable in his parliamentary career. Others, like Hon. Tobun Abiodun and Hon. Lanre Afinni, pointed out that democracy cannot thrive when security agencies are used to intimidate and harass elected representatives. The invasion of a legislative house, the very symbol of democracy, is a national embarrassment and a wake-up call for every Nigerian.
If the DSS can storm a state assembly today, what stops them from attacking the National Assembly tomorrow? What stops them from silencing anyone who dares to challenge the status quo? What happened in Lagos should not be seen as a state issue—it is a reflection of a country that has lost its way, where power is maintained through force rather than legitimacy. The people must realize that if they do not resist now, they may wake up one day to find that they have no democracy left to fight for.
The actions of the DSS only reinforce what many Nigerians already know—the country is ripe for a revolution. A system that relies on force and intimidation to sustain itself is one that is afraid of the people. But history has shown that no amount of oppression can suppress the will of a determined populace forever. The Nigerian people must recognize that change will not come from the corrupt politicians who benefit from this system. It will only come when the people rise to take back their country.
The invasion of the Lagos Assembly should not be forgotten. It should serve as a catalyst for Nigerians to demand accountability and refuse to accept governance by coercion. The people must send a clear message: enough is enough. The time for silence is over. Nigeria cannot continue on this path of tyranny and lawlessness. It is time for a revolution—not of violence, but of the collective will of the people to reclaim their country from the hands of those who have hijacked it.
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