…Pays Millions in Compensation for Unjust Detentions By Agency
By Yinka Giwa
In a rare and remarkable turn for Nigeria’s secretive security architecture, Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr. Tosin Ajayi, has, within a single month, approved the release of 12 detainees held under controversial circumstances, backed by public apologies and millions of naira in compensation.
The latest of these releases occurred on Saturday, when the DSS freed Abdulyakini Salisu, who had been in custody since 2022 over what the Service has now confirmed to be a case of mistaken identity. Salisu, a quarry operator along the Zuba-Kaduna expressway, was wrongfully linked to a kidnapping suspect. Upon reviewing the details of his case, the DSS not only ordered his release but also issued a formal apology and awarded him an initial N10 million in compensation, with indications that further payments may follow.
Security sources disclosed that Mr. Ajayi, who assumed office in August 2024, directed that Salisu be granted free medical care at the DSS hospital for as long as necessary. His case is the third widely reported release under the new DG, and part of a growing list of individuals receiving compensation for wrongful detention or mistreatment.
Earlier on July 1, the DSS released 11 men detained in Osun State on terrorism-related charges. Among them were Mohammed Adamu, Adamu Abubakar, Mohammed Bindi, and Baba Kura Mallam. Each of the men was reportedly compensated with undisclosed but substantial sums running into several millions of naira. The DG has also directed that officers involved in their wrongful arrests face internal disciplinary measures.
In another case that highlighted the human impact of these detentions, Mohammed Ciroma Jr., a 400-level Computer Science student at Modibbo Adama University in Yola, was freed following a fresh review of his file. The DG reportedly ordered his reinstatement into the university and offered him a full scholarship to be funded by the DSS.
This wave of actions follows a N20 million payout in May to a Jos-based businessman who was mistakenly shot by DSS operatives during a 2016 operation targeting a gunrunner. According to insiders, the businessman bore a similar name to the real suspect and was never involved in any criminal activity. His case, along with that of the 11 artisans from Osun, was fast-tracked following the DG’s intervention.
“When the committee set up by the DG drew his attention to these cases, he gave a clear directive to expedite action,” a senior DSS source said. “He has also instructed the public relations department to monitor all media, mainstream or otherwise, for reports on unjust detentions and bring them directly to his desk.”
Indeed, it was a report by an online medium that prompted the DG to order a 48-hour review of Salisu’s case. Once the mistake was confirmed, he acted swiftly, issuing the release order and compensation directive. “Given the DG’s record, it is expected that Salisu will receive additional support,” the source added.
Ajayi’s leadership style reflects a dramatic departure from the past. Upon assuming office, he promised to reform the DSS into a more covert, professional, and rights-respecting institution. He banned operatives from brandishing firearms in public and commissioned a full audit of all ongoing detentions under the Service.
“He told us plainly,” said another senior officer, “that security must not come at the expense of human rights. President Bola Tinubu gave him a clear charge: no Nigerian should suffer abuse under the watch of his administration. The DG is following through, not with denial or excuses, but with action.”
While not denying past mistakes, the DSS under Ajayi is confronting its legacy of heavy-handedness with a new policy of accountability. “What he’s saying,” a source summed up, “is this: We’re not perfect, but we’ll own our errors and do right by those who suffered them.”