DSS Must Respect Rule of Law and Human Rights, Ajayi Declares — Agency Turns to Courts Instead of Force
The Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Oluwatosin Ajayi, has issued a firm directive to operatives: there must be no arrests in civil disputes.
Speaking in a media interview on Thursday, Ajayi said the order forms part of far-reaching reforms to deepen the agency’s commitment to the rule of law, accountability and respect for human rights.
Since taking office, he has driven changes across five priority areas — law enforcement, inter-agency cooperation, accountability, human rights, and administrative and infrastructural development.
A central goal, he explained, is ensuring operatives clearly separate civil disputes from criminal offences. The use of state force in purely civil matters will no longer be tolerated.
“You cannot apply the use of force in civil matters. Even some criminal matters don’t require force,” Ajayi stated. Disputes that belong in the courts must not be turned into security operations involving arrests or intimidation.
“Go to Court, Don’t Arrest”
Ajayi said previous practice sometimes blurred the line between civil and criminal matters. Under his leadership, that approach has changed.
Asked whether the DSS now resorts to the courts in civil cases, he replied: “Yes. I have told my people that there should be no arrest in any civil case.”
The agency has already demonstrated this stance in matters involving journalists and civil society groups.
He cited the case of political economist Professor Pat Utomi over allegations of an attempt to form a “shadow government.” Rather than order an arrest, the DSS sought judicial interpretation. The court later ruled the project unconstitutional, illegal and a threat to national security.
SERAP Case Ends in Court
Ajayi also referred to a dispute with the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), which sued the agency over claims that two operatives invaded its premises.
Instead of making arrests, the DSS allowed the matter to run its full course in court. The court eventually awarded more than ₦100 million in favour of SERAP.
These outcomes, he said, underline the importance of letting the judiciary decide disputes rather than using security powers to resolve matters that do not require criminal enforcement.
“Journalists Are Our Professional Colleagues”
In a notable comment on media relations, Ajayi described journalists as the DSS’s “professional colleagues.”
“I call you guys our professional colleagues. The only difference is that, while you inform the public, we inform the Government,” he said. DSS information remains classified until the agency chooses to declassify it.
The new directive marks a stronger push for judicial process, operational accountability and human-rights compliance. DSS operatives are now expected to resist the temptation to deploy arrest powers in matters that are fundamentally civil in nature.