Africa (Commonwealth Union) _ In August 2024, Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi assumed leadership of Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS), signaling a possible shift in the nation’s approach to national security. Six months into his tenure, Ajayi proposed a controversial idea: that communities, not government security forces, should be the country’s first line of defence.
Speaking in Abuja, flanked by top security figures like NSA Nuhu Ribadu and CDS Christopher Musa, Ajayi suggested citizens take on the burden of defence, arguing it’s unrealistic to expect the army, police, and DSS to protect everyone. But that notion conflicts directly with the Nigerian constitution, which designates security and welfare as the government’s primary duty.
Ajayi’s argument relies on communities that have successfully retaliated against attacks as evidence. Yet, those instances often involve locals using crude weapons against heavily armed attackers, highlighting the state’s failure, not its success.
The DSS chief’s approach smacks of passing responsibility to already vulnerable citizens. His idea of communities seeking “some sort of approval and guidance” from DSS is vague and troubling. By what mechanism do villagers in remote areas contact DSS headquarters, and what kind of support would they even receive?
This shift in narrative starkly contrasts the lofty promises made by the All Progressives Congress (APC) when it swept into power in 2015, primarily on a platform to end insecurity. Ten years and two presidents later, insecurity has worsened.
President Buhari spent much of his tenure abroad while insecurity festered. His successor, President Tinubu, appears to follow the same path, frequently traveling while crises erupt at home. The APC’s 2015 manifesto, which pledged more police, better pay for security services, and socioeconomic reform, has become a broken promise.
Even though the Nigerian Air Force boasts thousands of flight hours and deploys special forces, violent crime and terror continue to persist. The disconnect lies in a leadership that glorifies itself while citizens face real danger with no protection.
Ajayi’s suggestion that citizens defend themselves effectively renders the DSS obsolete. If citizens must become their security forces, why does DSS exist—other than to serve and protect the elite in Abuja?
Nigeria is drifting dangerously on autopilot, and unless leadership regains its sense of duty, security will remain a luxury for the few and a burden for the suffering many.
