Campus News

DSS seeks support to enhance internal security

..as Egbewole hails Service’s performance

The Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi, MON, has urged stakeholders in the country’s security architecture to collaborate more closely with the Service to identify and train highly dedicated individuals with access to critical information that will enhance internal security.

Mr Ajayi made the appeal last Wednesday (February 12, 2024) while delivering the 2025 Distinguished Personality Lecture of the Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies (CPSS), University of Ilorin. The Lecture, titled “The Role of the DSS in Security, Peacekeeping, and National Integration”, was held at the University Auditorium.

Represented by the Assistant Director-General of Intelligence, Mr. Patrick Ikenweiwe, the Director-General stressed the need to sustain the enlistment of talented and committed citizens to help neutralise security threats and support nation-building.

He observed that the current perception of security and intelligence organisations as enemies rather than friends must be addressed, as it affects the quality and quantity of intelligence produced and by extension impacts peace building and national integration.

Speaking on the challenges in DSS intervention efforts, Mr Ajayi said, “There are circumstances where stakeholders exhibit utmost disregard for intelligence estimates, regardless of the implications. The Service also has to contend with legal, human rights and jurisdictional constraints as some of its interventions can inevitably blur the lines of law and rights. Inter-agency rivalry is also a stumbling block for the Service to effectively carry out its onerous task”.

To address these challenges, the DSS Director-General called for the strengthening of institutional frameworks, re-orientation on the roles of intelligence agencies, and a review of recruitment and staffing processes. He also urged stakeholders to increase their support for the DSS, particularly in terms of funding and valuing the intelligence outputs provided for them.

In his welcome address, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN, commended the Department of State Services (DSS) for their significant contributions to national security.

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria, who noted improvements in the security situation in the North-East and North-West regions of the country, attributed the progress to the efforts of the DSS, especially under the leadership of Mr. Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi as Director-General.

The Vice Chancellor said while the DSS operates discreetly, it is, however, important for the Service to communicate its achievements to Nigerians, particularly at this time. He said, “With the emergence of Mr  Ajayi as DG of the Service, the story has changed positively. It is, therefore, important, as an academic community, to listen to how this has happened, to listen to how it is happening, and to investigate how peace can be better enhanced in the country.”

Speaking earlier, the Director of the Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies, Prof. Ibrahim Abdulganiyu Jawondo, fspsp, said the Centre and the DSS have had longstanding and symbiotic relationship. He pointed out that the Centre regularly admits and graduates DSS personnel and supports the National Institute for Security Studies, Abuja, through affiliation.

Prof. Jawondo said, “I am glad to inform you that our association with the DSS has been long and we have been to ourselves dependable allies. Sir, every year we admit and graduate their men from our Centre. Also, through affiliation, we have continued to service the National Institute for Security Studies, Abuja. … with this analysis, you would agree with me that the impact of the Centre cuts across human strata in Nigeria and beyond and are indelible”.

The CPSS Director, however, said that the Public Lecture was aimed at strengthening the relationship between the DSS and the Centre, while jointly working to formulate new theories and practices in peace education for the general public.

Prof. Jawondo appreciated the Vice Chancellor for the tremendous support the Centre had been receiving since he assumed office, saying that the Centre, from zero professor, now has two full professors, two Associate professors and two new academic staff in addition to other faculty ranks.

The Director appealed to the authorities of the State Services for assistance in whole or in part on some items which will aid academic activities and research development and which are to be named after the indefatigable DG-DSS. 

In a goodwill message, a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. AbdulGaniyu Ambali, commended the DSS for its resourcefulness, dependability, and commitment to national security, saying that the Service was very instrumental to the peace enjoyed by the University during his tenure as Vice Chancellor.

The Vice Chancellor of Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, Prof. Noah Yusuf, affirmed that the University Centre for Peace and Security Studies (CPSS) would continue to collaborate with the CPSS on various initiatives. 

Similarly, the Vice Chancellor of Ojaja University, Eiyenkorin, Prof. Jeleel Olasunkanmi Ojuade, applauded the DSS DG for breaking from the agency’s usual secrecy to present the public lecture. He explained the importance of bridging the gap between the academia and the public, noting that the lecture’s content was critical for achieving national security goals.

Meanwhile, the Olojoku of Ojoku in Oyun Local Government area of Kwara State, HRH Oba AbdulRazaq Adegboyega Seni III, who also attended the Lecture, praised the CPSS for prioritising Nigeria’s security by engaging security leaders to inform citizens about ongoing efforts to safeguard lives and property.