The Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr. Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi, has pledged to foster a more enabling environment for journalists and media practitioners to carry out their professional duties in Nigeria.
Mr. Ajayi made the commitment in a letter to the President of the International Press Institute (IPI) Nigeria, Mr. Musikilu Mojeed, in response to a commendation award recently conferred on him by the media advocacy body.
In the letter, dated December 19, 2025, the DSS boss stated that he would continue to champion the fair treatment of journalists and create a conducive atmosphere for them to perform their legitimate duties, in line with President Bola Tinubu’s drive to protect all Nigerians, regardless of tribe, religion, or profession.
“I have initiated further engagements with my colleagues and heads of other security agencies to prioritise the protection and fair treatment of members of the press across the country,” Mr. Ajayi said.
He commended IPI Nigeria for its sustained efforts to promote responsible and balanced reportage of sensitive national security and development-related issues, while reaffirming his commitment to continued cooperation with the organisation and its members.
A statement by the Secretary of IPI Nigeria, Mr. Ahmed I. Shekarau, recalled that the commendation was presented to Mr. Ajayi during the organisation’s 2025 Annual Conference, held on December 2 in Abuja, in recognition of his notable commitment to media freedom and the safety of journalists.
According to IPI Nigeria, since his appointment as DSS Director-General in late August 2024, Mr. Ajayi has demonstrated “an unmistakable commitment to press freedom and respect for journalists and media organisations.”
“Unlike in previous years, when the SSS was notorious for harassment, intimidation, and arrests of journalists, the agency under Mr. Ajayi’s leadership has shown remarkable restraint, professionalism, and openness to dialogue. Conflicts between the Service and the media are now resolved amicably rather than through coercion,” the organisation said.
IPI Nigeria cited several instances illustrating the positive shift in the agency’s posture toward the media. Within hours of Mr. Ajayi assuming office, a journalist, Mr. Adejuwon Soyinka, who was detained in Lagos, was immediately released following IPI Nigeria’s intervention.
Similarly, Mr. Ajayi acted swiftly on a longstanding issue involving Mr. Lanre Arogundade, Executive Director of the International Press Centre (IPC), who had been repeatedly harassed at Nigeria’s borders despite earlier assurances that his name had been removed from DSS watchlists.
In the “Order Paper” case, where an SSS staff member arrested a newspaper journalist over an inaccurate report alleging DSS involvement in the National Assembly, Mr. Ajayi immediately granted administrative bail, and through constructive engagement, the matter was amicably resolved and all charges withdrawn.
In February 2025, when the SSS raised concerns about media reports on the Lagos State House of Assembly crisis, Mr. Ajayi chose dialogue over confrontation, working collaboratively with IPI Nigeria to resolve the dispute.
In October 2025, without prompting, he ordered disciplinary action against DSS officers involved in the arrest and detention of two journalists from Jay 101.9 FM in Jos and directed a formal apology to the journalists and their organisation.
IPI Nigeria stated that the commendation was meant not only to acknowledge Mr. Ajayi’s press freedom credentials but also “to inspire other public officials, institutions, and organisations to emulate his example.”
