Wrongful arrests redressed: DSS DG orders release of innocent detainees, approves millions in compensation

The Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr. Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi, has ordered the release of an Abuja-based businesswoman, Mrs. Chineze Ozoadibe, after investigators confirmed she was wrongfully arrested during an operation targeting an oil bunkering syndicate.

Mrs. Ozoadibe, who spent days in DSS custody before her exoneration, has now been awarded ₦10 million in compensation on the directive of the DG.

But her case is not an isolated one. Five other detainees similarly caught in the dragnet of mistaken arrests will collectively receive an additional ₦10 million as restitution.

A senior security source told this newspaper that Ozoadibe’s arrest was “purely coincidental,” the result of a handover from another security agency during a raid. “Once DSS operatives established her innocence, the DG immediately ordered her release and compensation. It was a clear admission that mistakes had been made,” the source disclosed.

The development, insiders say, is part of Ajayi’s “new culture” at the DSS one that departs from a long history of silence, secrecy, and unresolved human rights cases.

“Since Mr. Ajayi assumed office, the Service has adopted a zero-tolerance policy for wrongful detention,” the source continued. “It’s not about saving face, it’s about acknowledging errors and redressing them.”

Behind Ajayi’s approach, analysts suggest, is a recognition that accountability is not weakness but strength. “He understands human fallibility. His instruction to operatives is clear: investigate thoroughly, admit mistakes openly, and compensate swiftly,” another source explained.

The DG has now directed the DSS legal department to enforce stricter protocols. All investigating officers, according to the directive, must ensure due process is followed before arrests are made. A move observers believe could curb the agency’s reputation for heavy handedness.