DSS Director-General bans operatives from arresting individuals in civil matters
Oluwatosin Ajayi, the Director-General of the Department of State Services DSS, has instructed agency operatives to refrain from making arrests in civil matters. This directive, announced during a media interview, is part of broader reforms aimed at enhancing adherence to the rule of law and improving the DSS's human rights record. Since assuming office, Ajayi has introduced reforms across five key areas: law enforcement, inter-agency synergy, accountability, respect for human rights, and infrastructural and administrative improvements for operational efficiency. He emphasized a clearer distinction between civil and criminal matters, noting that the use of force is inappropriate in civil disputes. Ajayi cited cases, including one involving political economist Prof Pat Utomi, where the DSS sought judicial interpretation instead of arrest, and another with the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project SERAP where the matter was pursued in court without arrest, resulting in a court award in SERAP's favor. He confirmed that the DSS now resorts to courts in civil cases, including those involving journalists, whom he considers professional colleagues.
