Breaking: DSS Issues New Order On Who Operatives Should Stop Arresting, "You Can't Arrest"
- DSS Director-General Oluwatosin Ajayi issued a directive barring operatives from making arrests in civil cases
- Ajayi said the agency has introduced reforms across five broad areas since he assumed office, including respect for human rights
- The DSS boss cited the Prof Pat Utomi case and the SERAP case as examples of the new court-first approach
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The Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Oluwatosin Ajayi, has told operatives of the agency to stop making arrests in civil matters, saying force has no place in such disputes.
Ajayi made the declaration during a media interview on Thursday, September 3, framing the directive as part of a broader effort to strengthen the agency's commitment to the rule of law and improve its human rights record.
Source: Twitter
Reforms across five areas
Since taking office, Ajayi said he has pushed reforms in five broad areas: law enforcement, inter-agency collaboration, accountability, human rights, and administrative improvements meant to boost operational efficiency.
Central to those reforms, he said, is a clearer line between civil and criminal matters, a distinction he argued the agency had previously failed to draw properly.
"You cannot apply the use of force in civil matters. Even some criminal matters don't require force," he said.
He pointed to the case of political economist Prof Pat Utomi, who faced allegations of attempting to establish a "shadow government," as an early test of the new approach.
Rather than detain him, the DSS took the matter to court.
"Rather than arrest him, we sought judicial interpretation. And the Court ruled that his adventure was unconstitutional, illegal, and a threat to national security," Ajayi said.
Court, not handcuffs
A separate case involving the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) also reflected the shift.
After two DSS operatives were accused of invading the organisation's premises, the matter was handled through the courts rather than through any arrest. The court eventually awarded SERAP more than N100 million in damages.
Ajayi said the same principle now governs how the agency handles cases involving journalists, describing them as professional colleagues with a shared purpose.
"I have told my people that there should be no arrest in any civil case. And I'm sure you have found out that, even in cases involving journalists, we would rather approach the court because we do the same job," he said.
"I call you guys our professional colleagues. The only difference is that, while you inform the public, we inform the Government. And because we inform the Government, our information is classified until we declassify it."
FDA backs DSS decision to suspend Sowore prosecution
Previously, Legit.ng reported that the Foundation for Democracy in Africa (FDA) backed the move by DSS Director-General Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi to put on hold the criminal prosecution of African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore until after the 2027 presidential election.
The FDA described the decision as a show of commitment to democracy, due process, the rule of law, and the integrity of the electoral process.
Source: Legit.ng
