RismadarVoice Reporters
September 3, 2026
Operatives of Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS) have been explicitly barred from making arrests in civil disputes, following new directives issued by the agency’s Director-General, Oluwatosin Ajayi.
Speaking in an interview on Thursday, Ajayi outlined the operational policy shift as a key measure to uphold the rule of law and overhaul the secret police’s human rights record.
Since taking charge of the service, Ajayi noted that his administration has instituted sweeping reforms across five core pillars: law enforcement protocols, inter-agency collaboration, operational accountability, strict respect for human rights, and internal administrative restructuring.
Central to these reforms is drawing a firm boundary between civil conflicts and criminal offences—a line he admitted was frequently blurred in the past.
“You cannot apply the use of force in civil matters. Even some criminal matters don’t require force,” Ajayi stated, adding that the prioritising judicial interpretation over aggressive detentions.
Highlighting the agency’s adjusted strategy, the DSS chief cited high-profile cases where the service opted for legal action rather than arbitrary arrests:
Prof. Pat Utomi: Following allegations regarding the setup of a “shadow government,” the service sought judicial clarification instead of apprehending the political economist. The court subsequently declared the move unconstitutional and a threat to national security.
SERAP Lawsuit: In a dispute with the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project over an alleged premises invasion by operatives, the agency allowed the legal process to run its course, culminating in a court judgment awarding over ₦100 million in favour of the civil rights group.
Ajayi reaffirmed that the policy extends to interactions with the media, describing journalists as “professional colleagues” who share a similar mandate of gathering intelligence, albeit for the public rather than government officials. He confirmed that any future grievances involving media practitioners will be resolved strictly through the courts rather than through detention.
