iDeemlawfulOfficers of the Department of State Services have reportedly started contacting politicians and other prominent Nigerians, positioning themselves as alternative personal security providers following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive withdrawing police escorts from VIPs.
It will be recalled that on November 24, President Tinubu ordered the removal of all police personnel attached to politicians and other VIPs as part of intensified efforts to curb rising security challenges, including increased kidnapping incidents in Kwara, Kebbi, Niger, and other northern states.
In a statement, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, explained that Tinubu instructed armed officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to assume VIP protection responsibilities previously handled by the police.
In line with the directive, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, announced three days later that 11,566 officers had been withdrawn from VIP protection duties and reassigned.
While several affected VIPs have begun reaching out to the NSCDC to request escorts, a report by The PUNCH disclosed that some DSS operatives have been approaching influential individuals, urging them to request their state directors to post them as new security details.
One of the VIPs, who spoke to journalists in Lagos, said DSS officers who had known him for years viewed the withdrawal of police escorts as a chance to secure deployment to what he described as a “juicy place.”
He explained that the DSS personnel had visited him twice, requesting that he speak with their state director to facilitate their deployment as his security guards.
The VIP, a senior executive at a Federal Government revenue-generating agency in Lagos, said, “The policemen attached to me were withdrawn last week, and I was considering getting men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
“But these DSS officers are showing up and presenting themselves as alternatives. They came here twice to request that I speak with their state director so they can be deployed here as my new security details. They are known persons to me, so they must have seen this place as a juicy area.”
When asked whether he would agree to their request, the VIP responded, “I am not sure. The reason being that what is the total number of the DSS?”
Similarly, an aide to a businessman and religious leader in Osogbo, Osun State, said he was aware that some DSS officers were interested in being deployed to the man after his police escorts were withdrawn.
The aide, who requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the issue, revealed that some DSS personnel had approached the businessman’s children to express interest in replacing the withdrawn policemen.
“I know that some DSS have got across to Baba’s children, telling them to speak with him so he can influence their deployment to him. They want to replace the policemen who have been withdrawn,” he said.
However, a senior DSS officer familiar with the situation said some of the officers making such moves are “lower cadre.”
He explained that, unlike the police, the DSS operates under strict guidelines regarding VIP attachments, adding that the current Director-General of the Service, Adeola Ajayi, has eliminated “arbitrary posting.”
“I’m aware that some of our men are seeking to replace policemen attached to some high-profile VIPs. I don’t want to talk much about that, but I can tell you that those making the move are lower cadre, not senior officers.
“The new rule under the current DG is that anybody above Level 13 should not be deployed to VIPs except to the governor or the State House in Abuja. The DG has eradicated arbitrary deployment. So, those seeking to be attached to the VIPs now may be engaging in a wild goose chase,” he said.
Another DSS officer noted that VIP protection falls within the agency’s statutory duties but cautioned colleagues against appearing “desperate” for such assignments.
“There is an element of truth in every rumour. That some officers are lobbying to be deployed to VIPs after the withdrawal of police may be true. However, it is wrong to assume that attaching DSS personnel to VIPs is out of place. No. We have the statutory responsibility to protect VIPs.
“But the deployment of any officer will follow all established protocols, which are not for public consumption. So, those eyeing ‘juicy’ postings or deployment to highly placed VIPs should remember that it is not automatic,” he said.
The DSS, also referred to as the State Security Service (SSS) and established in 1989, is Nigeria’s secret police agency tasked with counterintelligence, counterterrorism, protection of top government officials such as the President and governors, and safeguarding national security against threats including espionage, subversion, and economic crimes.
