Public affairs analyst Comrade Usman Okai Austin has described the Director-General of the Department of State Services, DSS, Mr. Oluwatosin Ajayi, the most professional officer ever to head Nigeria’s secret service.
In a statement issued in Abuja, Okai praised the discipline and efficiency he said Ajayi has brought to the service since taking office. According to Okai, the DSS no longer engages in public confrontations. It now relies on intelligence-led operations to stop security threats before they happen.
President Bola Tinubu appointed Ajayi as DSS Director-General on August 26, 2024. He succeeded Yusuf Magaji Bichi, who was appointed by former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2018 and resigned before Ajayi took over. Ambassador Mohammed Mohammed was named head of the National Intelligence Agency on the same day, after the NIA chief also resigned.
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Ajayi is a career intelligence officer. He joined the DSS as a cadet officer in 1990 and rose through the ranks to become Assistant Director-General before his appointment. He also served as State Director of Security in Rivers, Bayelsa, Bauchi, Enugu and Kogi states. When he was appointed, the President told the new intelligence chiefs to reposition their agencies and work more closely with sister agencies and the Office of the National Security Adviser.
“Mr. Oluwatosin Ajayi stands out as a thoroughbred professional security strategist,” Okai said. “Under his leadership, the DSS is rebuilding public trust by prioritising intelligence gathering, operational discretion and respect for the rule of law.”
The analyst listed several areas where he said the agency has improved under Ajayi, especially on preventive covert operations that stop threats early and help avoid public panic; stronger cooperation with the military, the police and international partners to tackle cross-border security problems.
He also listed use of modern technology to deal with digital threats, other crimes and attacks on critical national infrastructure; fewer public clashes and operations that follow legal standards more closely as well as better training and welfare packages for field officers and other staff.
“His respect for human rights and the total cessation of arbitrary arrests and detentions have earned him national and international accolades,” Okai said.
Ajayi’s feat has been acknowledged severally. His honours include awards from the International Press Institute, the Nigeria Union of Journalists and the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria. In June 2026, the NUJ named him its “Man of the Year.”
Okai said security management should be left to experienced professionals who understand how the service works from the inside, without political interference.
“Ajayi rose through the ranks, and that background shows in his leadership,” he said. “He has kept the agency out of politics and restored its standing as an elite intelligence body focused entirely on national security.”
He urged the DSS chief to continue with this approach. A professional, low-profile intelligence service, he said, is still Nigeria’s best defence against internal security threats.
Crediblenewsng.com
