DSS DG Orders Operatives to Stop Arrests Over Civil Matters

The Director-General of Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS), Oluwatosin Ajayi, has directed operatives of the agency not to arrest individuals over matters that are purely civil.

Ajayi disclosed this during a media interview on Thursday, September 3, 2026, saying the directive is part of reforms aimed at strengthening respect for the rule of law and improving the DSS’s human rights record.

According to the DSS chief, the agency has been working to establish a clearer distinction between civil disputes and criminal offences. He acknowledged that the two areas had sometimes been conflated in the past but stressed that security agencies should not use force to settle private or civil disagreements.

“You cannot apply the use of force in civil matters,” Ajayi said, adding that even some criminal cases may not require the use of force. Under the new approach, matters considered civil are expected to be addressed through legal and judicial channels rather than arrests.

Ajayi pointed to the case involving political economist Prof. Pat Utomi as an example of the approach. Rather than arresting Utomi over allegations surrounding an attempt to establish a “shadow government,” the DSS sought judicial interpretation. The court subsequently ruled that the proposed action was unconstitutional, illegal and a threat to national security, according to Ajayi.

He also referenced a case involving the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), saying the organisation took the matter to court over allegations involving DSS operatives. The dispute was resolved through the judicial process, with the court eventually awarding more than N100 million in favour of SERAP.

Ajayi said reforms introduced since he became DSS Director-General have focused on five key areas: law enforcement, cooperation with other security agencies, accountability, respect for human rights, and administrative and infrastructural improvements.

He described the clearer separation of civil and criminal matters as part of efforts to make the agency more accountable while improving its operational effectiveness. The directive signals a stronger emphasis on using the courts to resolve civil disputes rather than deploying the coercive powers of the security service.