Keji Mustapha
By Isiaka Mustapha, Editor-in-Chief, People’s Security Monitor
The appointment of Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi as Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS) on August 26, 2024, ushered in what appears to be a new phase for Nigeria’s domestic intelligence service. A career intelligence officer who served as State Director in Bauchi, Enugu, Bayelsa, Rivers and Kogi, Ajayi brought extensive operational experience to the position. Nearly two years into his tenure, the Service has increasingly projected a leadership philosophy centred on intelligence, professionalism, accountability and the rule of law.
The significance of the change is better understood against the DSS’s historical public image. For years, the Service was frequently associated with secrecy, aggressive arrests, allegations of intimidation and uneasy relations with journalists and civil society. It would be unrealistic to suggest that Ajayi has resolved every institutional challenge, but the direction under his leadership represents a noticeable shift towards greater accountability, human rights and institutional responsibility.
One of the clearest examples is the Service’s approach to wrongful detention. Recognising that intelligence operations involve uncertainty and that errors can seriously affect innocent citizens, the DSS has reportedly reviewed more than 30 cases and paid over ₦300 million in compensation to people found to have been wrongfully detained. Beyond the financial value, the programme establishes an important principle: a powerful security institution must be willing to acknowledge and correct its mistakes.
The compensation initiative also changes the relationship between the intelligence service and ordinary citizens. The release of individuals cleared during investigations, alongside compensation where appropriate, reinforces the position that national security should not come at the expense of fundamental rights. The Service has described this approach as restorative justice, while cases such as that of a carpenter cleared of alleged terrorist links and awarded ₦3 million demonstrate how the principle is being applied.
Ajayi’s handling of the media has also marked a significant departure from the past. Relations between Nigerian security agencies and journalists have often been strained, with the DSS facing accusations of press intimidation. Under Ajayi, however, the Service has pursued greater engagement with media organisations. The change was recognised in December 2025 when the Nigerian National Committee of the International Press Institute (IPI) honoured him for his commitment to press freedom and respect for journalists. President Bola Tinubu subsequently congratulated the DSS chief.
The softer side of the administration, however, has not meant a retreat from the Service’s core security responsibilities. In September 2026, Ajayi disclosed that the DSS had recovered 676 firearms and more than 330,000 rounds of ammunition. He also said the agency was placing greater emphasis on prosecuting cases and securing convictions rather than simply arresting and arraigning suspects.
The Service has also reported significant progress in terrorism prosecutions, including seven death sentences, four connected to the Owo attack and one each in Kogi, Katsina and Sokoto. Other offenders received prison terms ranging from 20 to 40 years. Whatever one’s position on capital punishment, the figures underline the DSS’s stated effort to ensure that intelligence operations produce legally sustainable cases and judicial outcomes.
That emphasis on prosecution represents an important distinction between an arrest and a successful security operation. An arrest is only the beginning of a case; effective investigation, credible evidence and conviction provide a more durable measure of institutional performance. By linking intelligence gathering more closely to prosecution, the DSS is seeking to ensure that suspects are not merely detained but subjected to due legal process.
Inter agency cooperation has equally become a major feature of the new strategy. Nigeria’s security challenges, including terrorism, kidnapping, banditry, arms trafficking, cybercrime and violent extremism, frequently cross geographical and institutional boundaries. The DSS has therefore placed increasing emphasis on intelligence sharing and coordination with other security agencies, recognising that no single institution can effectively confront the country’s complex security threats alone.
The Service’s operational approach has also become increasingly preventive and intelligence led. Rather than waiting for threats to develop into attacks, the emphasis is increasingly on identifying networks, disrupting criminal operations and preventing violence. Reports of operations targeting terrorism, kidnapping and arms trafficking networks across the North East, North West and parts of the Middle Belt reflect this preventive approach.
Internal accountability is another defining feature of Ajayi’s tenure. His description of the reform as a movement from “fear to accountability” points to an effort to strengthen discipline within the Service itself. A security agency cannot credibly demand obedience to the law from the public while tolerating misconduct among its personnel. Reported reductions in malpractice and stronger internal enforcement suggest that the accountability drive extends beyond public messaging.
Ajayi’s public engagements have also projected a more communicative leadership style. Rather than allowing the DSS to be defined solely by arrests and security operations, he has increasingly explained the reasoning behind its policies and decisions. His measured approach and emphasis on lawful procedures are significant because intelligence services depend not only on operational strength but also on public confidence and institutional credibility.
Taken together, the emerging picture of the Ajayi era rests on several pillars: stronger law enforcement, intelligence led operations, inter agency cooperation, accountability, respect for human rights and institutional modernisation. This represents a broader understanding of intelligence work in which success is measured not simply by arrests, but by the quality of intelligence, legality of operations, protection of innocent citizens and effective disruption of genuine threats.
The DSS’s 40th anniversary also provides an opportunity to assess the institution’s evolution. Ajayi’s tenure comes at a time when the Service is attempting to balance two difficult demands: being sufficiently forceful against terrorists and criminals while remaining restrained enough to protect citizens’ rights. Reported compensation for wrongful detention, releases after investigations, stronger prosecutions and improved media relations suggest an attempt to maintain that balance. Ultimately, the real test will be whether these reforms become permanent institutional practices rather than changes tied to one Director General. If accountability, lawful intelligence gathering, restorative justice, inter agency cooperation and responsible media engagement become embedded in the DSS, Ajayi’s tenure could leave a lasting legacy: a domestic intelligence service that is tough on genuine threats, fair to innocent citizens and accountable under the law.
Isiaka Mustapha, Editor in Chief, People’s Security Monitor, writes from Abuja.
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