Oluwatosin Ajayi says the agency will increasingly use the courts to resolve civil disputes and has introduced reforms focused on accountability and human rights.
The Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Oluwatosin Ajayi, has directed operatives of the agency not to arrest people over civil matters.
Ajayi disclosed this in a media interview published on Thursday, saying the directive was part of reforms aimed at strengthening adherence to the rule of law and improving the agency’s human rights record.
He said the reforms introduced since he assumed office had focused on five broad areas: law enforcement, inter-agency synergy, accountability, respect for human rights, and infrastructural and administrative reforms to improve operational efficiency.
According to Ajayi, the reforms had also led to a clearer distinction between civil and criminal matters within the DSS.
He said his career experience had shown that the agency had previously conflated the two areas, stressing that force should not be used to resolve civil disputes.
“You cannot apply the use of force in civil matters. Even some criminal matters don’t require force,” he said.
Ajayi cited the case involving political economist Prof Pat Utomi over allegations relating to an attempt to establish a “shadow government”.
He said the DSS chose to seek judicial interpretation instead of arresting Utomi, adding that the court ruled that the alleged venture was unconstitutional, illegal and a threat to national security.
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 had invaded its premises.
Ajayi said the case was pursued through the courts without an arrest and that the court eventually awarded more than ₦100 million in favour of SERAP.
Asked whether the DSS now resorts to the courts in civil matters, Ajayi said: “Yes. I have told my people there should be no arrest in any civil case.”
He added that the agency preferred to approach the courts even in cases involving journalists, whom he described as “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,” he said.