DSS DG Orders Operatives To Stop Arrests Over Civil Disputes
The Director-General of the Department of State Services, Oluwatosin Ajayi, has directed operatives of the agency to stop arresting individuals over matters that are purely civil in nature, stressing that the use of force must not be applied to settle civil disputes.
Ajayi disclosed the directive during a media interview on Thursday, September 3, 2026, explaining that the measure forms part of ongoing reforms aimed at strengthening the Department’s adherence to the rule of law, accountability and respect for human rights.
The DSS Director-General, according to The Sun, said his administration had introduced reforms across five major areas, including law enforcement, inter-agency cooperation, accountability, respect for human rights, as well as infrastructural and administrative reforms designed to improve the agency’s operational efficiency.
He explained that the reforms had also helped the DSS establish a clearer distinction between civil and criminal matters, noting that his professional experience had shown that the two areas were sometimes previously conflated.
Ajayi maintained that where a dispute is civil, security operatives should not resort to arrest or the deployment of force.
“You cannot apply the use of force in civil matters. Even some criminal matters don’t require force,” he said.
The DSS boss further explained that the agency was increasingly turning to the courts for judicial interpretation and resolution of disputes rather than using its security powers inappropriately.
He cited the case involving political economist, Prof. Pat Utomi, who had faced allegations connected to an attempt to establish what was described as a “shadow Government.”
Ajayi said that instead of arresting Utomi, the DSS approached the court to seek a judicial interpretation of the matter.
“Rather than arrest him, we sought judicial interpretation. And the Court ruled that his adventure was unconstitutional, illegal, and a threat to national security,” he added.
The DSS Director-General also referred to a legal dispute involving the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, which had approached the court over allegations that two DSS operatives invaded its premises.
According to Ajayi, the agency allowed the matter to proceed through the judicial process without arresting those involved.
He said the court eventually awarded more than N100m in favour of SERAP, describing the case as another example of how disputes can be handled through lawful judicial channels rather than coercive measures.
When asked whether the DSS had now adopted the practice of approaching the courts in civil matters, Ajayi responded in the affirmative.
“Yes. I have told my people that there should be no arrest in any civil case,” he said.
He added that the agency had also demonstrated the same approach in matters involving journalists, noting that the DSS and the media have distinct but complementary roles in society.
“I call you guys our professional colleagues. The only difference is that, while you inform the public, we inform the Government,” Ajayi said.
He explained that information gathered by the DSS is treated differently from information handled by the media because of the agency’s security responsibilities.
“And because we inform the Government, our information is classified until we declassify it,” he added.
The directive represents a significant emphasis on the separation of civil disputes from criminal and national security matters, while underscoring the DSS leadership’s stated commitment to ensuring that its security powers are exercised within the limits of the law.
Global Mirror News gathered that the position also places greater emphasis on judicial intervention where disputes require legal interpretation, rather than relying on arrest as the first response.
