DG DSS Orders Release of Erroneously Arrested Suspects, Approves N3 Million Compensation
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The Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi, has directed the immediate release of three individuals arrested in June 2025 over allegations of banditry and kidnapping after a review panel found they were arrested in error.
The DG also approved the payment of ₦3 million as compensation to the trio, identified as Umar Ibrahim, Alhaji Bello Rabiu, and Jaja Sarki Bamo. Credible security sources confirmed that detailed investigations failed to establish any link between the men and the alleged crimes.
Rectifying Past Mistakes
The release and accompanying compensation are part of a broader effort by the DSS leadership to ensure justice is served to victims of the agency’s past errors. Ongoing investigations across various DSS cases have led to the release of several innocent suspects, while those found culpable continue to face prosecution.
“The DG DSS is an honourable man who acknowledges errors and rectifies them swiftly,” a security source stated. “He attempts to ensure due process is followed to ensure the right thing is done”.
Sources further noted that paying compensation has become an established practice under Ajayi’s leadership, recalling a previous instance where he provided double compensation to a Jos-based businessman erroneously shot years ago.
Background of the Arrest
The three men were intercepted in June 2025 at the Tunde Idiagbon International Airport in Ilorin, Kwara State, as they returned from the 2025 Hajj exercise. The interception was part of the agency’s proactive security measures amid heightened threats of kidnapping and banditry at the time.
Following their release, the individuals expressed gratitude to the DG DSS and noted that they were treated humanely throughout their detention.
“We were properly fed and we were not abused in any way,” Ibrahim remarked. “The officers ensured that our needs were met and we cooperated throughout the investigation”.
