The Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Oluwatosin Ajayi, has emphasized the need for a policy mandating the recruitment of only first-class graduates into the intelligence agency, arguing that top intellectual talent is crucial for national security.
Speaking at the 2025 Distinguished Personality Lecture organized by the Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies at the University of Ilorin, Ajayi—represented by Deputy Director Patrick Ikenweiwe—called for a paradigm shift in security recruitment.
He stressed that countering sophisticated criminal networks requires exceptional intellect, citing Israel’s selective university system as a model.
“In Israel, scoring above 70 in a national exam guarantees university admission. Why can’t we adopt a similar model for security recruitment?” he questioned.
Ajayi rejected the notion that all graduates should be recruited into security agencies, insisting that only the best minds should be enlisted to enhance intelligence operations.
“How can a ‘dundee’ (dullard) secure a country where criminal gangs are made up of first-class minds? It takes intellect to track criminality,” he stated.
Beyond recruitment, the DSS DG also called for a change in public perception of security agencies.
He noted that many Nigerians view them as adversaries rather than allies, a mindset he warned could hinder intelligence gathering and peacekeeping efforts.
Ikenweiwe further highlighted Nigeria’s evolving security landscape, noting that threats now include terrorism, insurgency, cybercrime, and economic sabotage.
He referenced the NSA Act CAP N74 LFN, 2024, and SSS Instrument No. 1 of 1999, reaffirming the DSS’s mandate to prevent crimes against national security and provide critical intelligence to the government.
The DSS, he assured, remains committed to strengthening national security through strategic collaborations and stakeholder engagement.