THE Director-General of the Department of State Services, Oluwatosin Ajayi, has directed operatives of the agency not to arrest anyone over civil matters.
News Point Nigeria reports that Ajayi stated this in a media interview on Thursday, explaining that the directive was part of measures to strengthen adherence to the rule of law and improve the agency’s human rights record.
The DSS boss said that since assuming office, he had introduced reforms across five broad areas: law enforcement, inter-agency synergy, accountability, respect for human rights, as well as infrastructural and administrative reforms aimed at improving operational efficiency.
According to him, the reforms had also brought about a clearer distinction between civil and criminal matters within the agency, noting that his career experience had shown that the DSS previously conflated the two areas.
Ajayi stressed that the use of force was inappropriate in civil disputes, declaring, “You cannot apply the use of force in civil matters. Even some criminal matters don’t require force.”
He cited the case involving political economist, Prof. Pat Utomi, over allegations relating to an attempt to establish a “shadow government”, saying the DSS opted to seek judicial interpretation rather than arrest him.
“Rather than arrest him, we sought judicial interpretation. And the Court ruled that his adventure was unconstitutional, illegal, and a threat to national security,” he added.
He also referred to a case involving the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, saying the organisation approached the court over allegations that two DSS operatives invaded its premises.
Ajayi said the matter was pursued in court without any arrest, adding that the court eventually awarded more than N100 million in favour of SERAP. The judgment, delivered in May 2026, awarded N100 million in damages to two DSS officials over alleged defamation, although SERAP has since appealed the decision.
Asked whether the DSS now resorts to the courts in civil matters, Ajayi replied, “Yes. I have told my people that there should be no arrest in any civil case.” He added that even in cases involving journalists, the agency would rather approach the court because, in his words, “we do the same job.”
He described journalists as the DSS’s “professional colleagues,” explaining that the difference was that journalists inform the public while the DSS informs the Government.
“And because we inform the Government, our information is classified until we declassify it,” Ajayi said.
