By Emmanuel Olugua
The Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr. Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi, has pledged to deepen protections for journalists in Nigeria, as President Bola Tinubu and the International Press Institute (IPI) Nigeria lauded what they described as a decisive break from the agency’s troubled past with the media.
Ajayi made the commitment in a letter to the President of IPI Nigeria, Mr. Musikilu Mojeed, following a commendation award conferred on him by the media advocacy organisation. In the letter, dated December 19, 2025, and personally signed by him, the DSS boss said he would continue to champion fair treatment for journalists and create a more conducive environment for them to carry out their legitimate duties.
He said the approach aligned with President Tinubu’s broader drive to protect all Nigerians, regardless of tribe, religion, or profession. Ajayi also disclosed that he had initiated engagements with heads of other security agencies to ensure the protection and fair treatment of journalists nationwide.
“I have initiated further engagements with my colleagues and heads of other security agencies to prioritise the protection and fair treatment of members of the press across the country,” he stated.
Ajayi commended IPI Nigeria for promoting responsible and balanced reportage of sensitive national security and development issues and reaffirmed his commitment to sustained cooperation with the organisation and its members.
A statement signed by the Secretary of IPI Nigeria, Mr. Ahmed I. Shekarau, said the commendation award was presented to Ajayi during the organisation’s 2025 Annual Conference held on December 2 in Abuja. According to IPI Nigeria, since his appointment as Director-General in late August 2024, Ajayi has shown “an unmistakable commitment to press freedom and respect for journalists and media organisations.”
The organisation noted that unlike previous years, when the DSS was widely criticised for harassment, intimidation, and arrests of journalists, the agency under Ajayi’s leadership has demonstrated restraint, professionalism, and openness to dialogue, with disputes now resolved through engagement rather than coercion.
IPI Nigeria cited several instances to underscore what it described as a positive shift. It recalled that shortly after Ajayi assumed office, a journalist, Adejuwon Soyinka, was intercepted and detained in Lagos, but was released within hours after the matter was brought to the DG’s attention. The organisation also referenced Ajayi’s intervention in the long-standing watchlist ordeal of Lanre Arogundade, Executive Director of the International Press Centre, which was resolved after decades of harassment at Nigeria’s borders.
In another case, involving the arrest of a staff member of Order Paper newspaper over a false report alleging that the DSS invaded the National Assembly to facilitate the removal of Senate President Godswill Akpabio, IPI Nigeria said Ajayi promptly ordered the journalist’s release on administrative bail. The matter was later resolved through dialogue, with charges withdrawn, and the case closed.
The group further recalled Ajayi’s handling of tensions arising from media reports on the Lagos State House of Assembly crisis in February 2025, noting that the DSS provided evidence of its role after being invited by the Assembly leadership, leading to an amicable resolution without confrontation.
In October 2025, IPI Nigeria said, Ajayi ordered disciplinary action against DSS officers involved in the arrest and detention of two journalists from Jay 101.9 FM in Jos and directed that a formal apology be issued, even without prompting from the organisation.
Meanwhile, President Tinubu has congratulated Ajayi on the IPI recognition, describing him as a champion of press freedom. In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, on December 21, 2025, the President welcomed the award and commended the DSS under Ajayi for upholding citizens’ rights and operating within the bounds of the law.
The President said the DSS was changing the narrative of hostility toward the media and fostering an atmosphere of dialogue and robust engagement with the civil populace. He urged other security agencies to emulate the DSS by engaging the media as partners rather than adversaries.
Tinubu also encouraged the DSS to sustain its efforts in creating an enabling environment for journalists and media practitioners, in line with the constitutional role of the press to hold public officials accountable.