The Director-General of the Departmenr of State Security Service (DSS), Mr Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi, has pledged to promote 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 dated December 19, 2025, and personally signed by him and addressed 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.
The DSS Director-General said he would continue to “champion fair treatment of journalists and create a conducive atmosphere for them to carry out their legitimate duties, in line with the drive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, to protect all Nigerians, irrespective of tribe, religion, or profession.”
He disclosed that he had initiated engagements with heads of other security agencies on the need to prioritise the protection and fair treatment of journalists nationwide.
“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,” he said.
The DSS boss also commended IPI Nigeria for its sustained efforts at promoting 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 signed by the Secretary of IPI Nigeria, Mr Ahmed I. Shekarau, recalled that the commendation award 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 Director-General of the Service 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 serial 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 through engagement rather than coercion,” the organisation said.
IPI Nigeria cited several instances to illustrate what it described as a positive shift in the agency’s posture toward the media. It noted that barely hours into Mr. Ajayi’s tenure, a journalist, Mr. Adejuwon Soyinka, was intercepted and detained in Lagos, but “within hours of IPI Nigeria bringing the matter to his attention, Mr. Ajayi directed the Lagos Command to release the journalist immediately.”
The organisation also referenced Mr Ajayi’s intervention in the case of Mr. Lanre Arogundade, Executive Director of the International Press Centre (IPC), who had for decades suffered repeated harassment at Nigeria’s borders after being placed on an SSS watchlist in the 1980s.
Despite earlier assurances under previous administrations that his name had been removed, the problem persisted until Mr. Ajayi acted swiftly on the matter following a formal complaint by IPI Nigeria.
In the Order Paper case, IPI Nigeria recalled that the SSS arrested a staff member of the newspaper over an inaccurate report alleging that the Service invaded the National Assembly to facilitate the removal of Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
“Once notified, Mr. Ajayi immediately ordered that the detained journalist be granted administrative bail. Through constructive engagement, the matter was later resolved, all charges filed in court were withdrawn, and the case was closed,” the organisation said.
