HURIWA Applauds DSS DG Ajayi for Rights‑Focused Reforms, Calls for Sustained Accountability
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has commended the Director‑General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr. Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi, for what it describes as an encouraging shift toward more professional, accountable and human‑rights‑compliant intelligence operations. The association said national security and human rights protection are not competing objectives but complementary pillars of constitutional democracy.
This was disclosed in a statement by HURIWA National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko.
HURIWA welcomed reports that the DSS has begun reviewing decades‑old watchlists and restrictions, noting that outdated intelligence records should not continue to infringe on citizens’ liberty, dignity or freedom of movement. It cited the resolution of the longstanding watchlist case involving International Press Centre Executive Director, Mr. Lanre Arogundade, as evidence of the importance of periodically reassessing security classifications.
The group also praised the reported compensation of individuals affected by wrongful detention, mistaken identity or operational errors, saying that acknowledging mistakes and providing redress strengthens public confidence in security institutions. It further welcomed reviews that have led to the release of persons whose continued detention was no longer justified by available investigations, stressing that intelligence gathering must never become a substitute for due process.
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While recognising the DSS’s critical role in combating terrorism, kidnapping, violent extremism, espionage and other threats, HURIWA maintained that security enforcement must remain anchored on legality, necessity, proportionality and respect for fundamental rights.
HURIWA urged the DSS leadership to institutionalise ongoing reforms by strengthening mechanisms for monitoring rights compliance, conducting human‑rights impact assessments before sensitive operations, ensuring periodic reviews of all detention cases, establishing transparent compensation systems for victims of wrongful detention, and deepening engagement with the National Human Rights Commission, lawyers, civil society organisations and professional bodies. The association also called for continuous training on constitutional rights and lawful detention, accessible complaint channels across DSS commands, responsible engagement with journalists, and greater emphasis on preventive, rights‑based intelligence. It further recommended the publication of an annual, appropriately redacted Human Rights and Professional Standards Report.
The association noted that while intelligence operations require confidentiality, secrecy must not become a shield against accountability, adding that modern intelligence services can protect classified information while respecting citizens’ constitutional rights.
HURIWA said Nigeria can build a security architecture that is both tough on threats and respectful of citizens’ rights, arguing that respect for human rights enhances national security because citizens are more willing to cooperate with institutions they trust. It commended Mr. Ajayi for the reform direction and urged him to consolidate the gains by making accountability, proportionality, due process and professional conduct permanent features of DSS operations.
“Nigeria needs a DSS that criminals fear, citizens trust and the Constitution can defend,” the statement said.
By PRNigeria
