By Jeremy Fregene
IPI Nigeria has set forth the reasons behind its decision to honour the Director-General of the Department of State Security(DSS), Mr Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi, even as the Akwa Ibom State Government has moved to clarify its position on media freedom following reports suggesting the state represses journalists.
Since his appointment as DSS DG in August 2024, Ajayi has overseen sweeping reforms that observers say have dramatically reset the agency’s relationship with the media. Once known for heavy-handed tactics, the DSS has, under his leadership, embraced a climate of engagement, professionalism, and respect for press freedoms.
Ajayi demonstrated this shift almost immediately. Hours into his tenure, journalist Adejuwon Soyinka was intercepted and detained in Lagos. Once IPI Nigeria brought the matter to his attention, he ordered Soyinka’s immediate release.
He similarly addressed the decades-long ordeal of journalist Lanre Arogundade, whose name had remained on a DSS watchlist since the 1980s despite repeated assurances to the contrary. Ajayi permanently deleted the name after receiving a formal complaint.
In the case involving Order Paper, where a staff member was arrested over an inaccurate report alleging a DSS plot to influence National Assembly leadership, Ajayi intervened quickly, granting the journalist administrative bail and later ensuring that all charges were withdrawn through constructive engagement.
He also stepped into a personal case involving another journalist, ordering his release on humanitarian grounds. And in October 2025, Ajayi disciplined officers responsible for the arrest of two Jay 101.9 FM journalists in Jos and directed the issuance of a formal apology—an unprecedented gesture in the agency’s history.
IPI Nigeria said these actions, and the broader cultural shift they represent, formed the basis of its decision to honour Ajayi, commending him for fostering mutual trust between the media and Nigeria’s foremost intelligence agency.
Amid the celebration of Ajayi’s reforms, the Akwa Ibom State Government issued a detailed clarification defending its press freedom record. This followed reports suggesting the state engages in media repression or has restricted coverage of government activities.
In its response, the government stated that no journalist has been arrested, detained, questioned, intimidated, or harassed on the orders of the governor or any state official. It further stressed that no media house has been shut down, sanctioned, or barred from operating anywhere in Akwa Ibom.
The administration noted that Governor Umo Eno has maintained an open-door, media-friendly posture since assuming office—one that it claimed has been acknowledged by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), and multiple respected media institutions across the country.
On the recent personnel changes involving two broadcast journalists previously assigned to Akwa Ibom, the government explained that their recall was a routine administrative rotation, standard in both public and private organisations. The affected media organisation has since deployed new personnel, who continue to enjoy full access to government events and information.
The government further highlighted several initiatives aimed at strengthening the media community, including the donation of eleven brand-new vehicles to the NUJ Akwa Ibom State Council and the completion and furnishing of the Council’s auditorium—commissioned by Governor Eno in the presence of the NUJ National President.
It also disclosed that the state presently has 356 media and communication professionals serving in boards, commissions, and advisory positions—one of the largest contingents of media practitioners appointed by any state government in Nigeria.
Reaffirming its commitment to transparency and constructive engagement, the Akwa Ibom State Government urged the public to disregard any perception of media repression, emphasizing that its relationship with the press remains collaborative, open, and fully supportive of journalistic work.
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