The Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Oluwatosin Ajayi, has directed operatives of the agency to stop arresting individuals over purely civil disputes, stressing that such matters should be resolved through lawful judicial processes.

Ajayi disclosed this during a media interview on Thursday, saying the directive was part of reforms introduced since he assumed office to strengthen professionalism, accountability and respect for human rights within the service.

The DSS boss said the reforms were focused on five key areas: law enforcement, inter-agency collaboration, accountability, respect for human rights, and infrastructural and administrative development.

According to him, the reforms have also helped establish a clearer distinction between civil disputes and criminal offences, noting that the line between the two had sometimes been blurred in the past.

Ajayi stressed that the use of coercive measures, including arrest, was inappropriate in the resolution of civil disputes.

“You cannot apply the use of force in civil matters. Even some criminal matters don’t require force,” he said.

Citing the case involving political economist and academic, Prof. Pat Utomi, Ajayi said the DSS chose to seek judicial interpretation rather than arrest him over allegations linked to an attempt to establish what was described as a “shadow government.”

“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 said.

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.

Ajayi said the agency allowed the matter to be determined through the courts rather than resorting to arrest, adding that the court eventually awarded more than N100 million in favour of SERAP.

Asked whether the DSS had adopted judicial processes as its preferred approach to civil matters, Ajayi responded in the affirmative and reiterated his directive to operatives.

“I have told my people that there should be no arrest in any civil case,” he stated.

DSS, Media Share Professional Responsibility

Ajayi also said the DSS had adopted a more cautious approach when dealing with cases involving journalists, stressing that the agency would seek judicial intervention where necessary.

He described journalists as the agency’s “professional colleagues”, noting that both the media and the DSS perform information-related functions, although their audiences and responsibilities differ.

“I call you guys our professional colleagues. The only difference is that, while you inform the public, we inform the government. And because we inform the government, our information is classified until we declassify it,” he said.

The DSS Director-General said the reforms were aimed at strengthening accountability, professionalism and respect for the rule of law while ensuring that the agency remains effective in carrying out its mandate of protecting Nigeria’s national security.