DSS DG calls for compulsory recruitment of only first-class graduates to boost national security

Oluwatosin Ajayi, the director-general of the Department of State Services (DSS), has advocated for a policy that mandates the recruitment of first-class graduates only into the intelligence agency, emphasizing the need for top intellectual minds to strengthen Nigeria’s security framework.

Ajayi made the call while delivering the 2025 Distinguished Personality Lecture at the Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies, University of Ilorin, Kwara State. Speaking on the theme, “The Roles of the DSS in Security, Peacekeeping, and National Integration,” the DSS DG, represented by Patrick Ikenweiwe, Deputy Director, stressed the importance of a paradigm shift in security agency recruitment.

He argued that intelligence work requires exceptional intellect to counter sophisticated criminal networks, drawing a comparison with Israel’s selective university admission system.

“In Israel, once you score above 70 marks in a national exam, you are automatically sent to the university. Why can’t we adopt a similar model for security recruitment?” he questioned.

Ajayi dismissed the notion that security agencies should be open to all graduates, insisting that only academically outstanding individuals should be enlisted to ensure a more effective intelligence force.

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“Tell me, how can a ‘dundee’ (dullard) keep security in a country where criminal gangs are made up of first-class minds? It takes intellect to track criminality,” he asserted.

Beyond recruitment, Ajayi called for a shift in how Nigerians perceive security agencies, lamenting that many see them as adversaries rather than allies. He warned that such a mindset hampers intelligence gathering and peacebuilding efforts.

His representative, Ikenweiwe, highlighted the evolving nature of Nigeria’s security challenges, noting that traditional threats such as espionage, sabotage, and subversion have now expanded to include terrorism, insurgency, separatist agitations, cybercrime, and economic sabotage.

The DSS, he said, remains committed to tackling these threats through strategic collaborations with sister agencies and continuous stakeholder engagement.

Providing an overview of the DSS’s responsibilities, Ikenweiwe referenced the NSA Act CAP N74 LFN, 2024, and SSS Instrument No. 1 of 1999, which empower the agency to detect and prevent crimes against national security.

“The DSS is mandated to prevent threats such as espionage, sabotage, terrorism, separatist agitations, and economic crimes of national security dimension. Additionally, we provide timely intelligence to the government,” he explained.

He also noted that the DSS has also played a key role in training security personnel from Nigeria’s armed forces and other agencies, as well as officers from foreign countries.