“Intelligence Work Requires Exceptional Intellect” – DSS DG Calls for Mandatory Recruitment of First-Class Graduates

The Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr. Oluwatosin Ajayi, has called for a policy mandating the recruitment of first-class graduates into the intelligence agency, emphasizing the need for top-tier intellectual capacity in national security operations.

Ajayi made this call while delivering the 2025 Distinguished Personality Lecture at the Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies, University of Ilorin, Kwara State. Speaking on the topic “The Roles of the DSS in Security, Peacekeeping, and National Integration,” he highlighted the necessity of a recruitment shift within security agencies to ensure only the brightest minds are enlisted.

Represented by DSS Deputy Director Mr. Patrick Ikenweiwe, Ajayi argued that intelligence work requires exceptional intellect to combat increasingly sophisticated security threats. He proposed a national policy similar to Israel’s selective university admission system, where outstanding students are automatically channeled into higher education and key national service roles.

“Tell me, how would a ‘Dundee’ (dullard) be able to secure a country when criminal networks are made up of first-class minds? It takes intelligence to track and dismantle organized crime,” he stated. Ajayi further urged academia to provide detailed records of top-performing students so they could be recruited into national service.

He also addressed public perception of security agencies, noting that many Nigerians view them as adversaries rather than allies. This, he said, negatively impacts intelligence gathering, peacebuilding, and national integration efforts.

Discussing Nigeria’s evolving security challenges, Ikenweiwe outlined the transition from traditional threats like espionage and sabotage to modern concerns such as terrorism, insurgency, cybercrime, and economic sabotage. He reaffirmed the DSS’s commitment to tackling these threats through strategic collaborations and stakeholder engagement.

Citing the legal frameworks guiding the DSS, he referenced the NSA Act CAP N74 LFN, 2024, and the SSS Instrument No. 1 of 1999, which empower the agency to prevent and detect threats to internal security, including terrorism, separatist agitations, and economic crimes of national significance. He also highlighted the DSS’s role in providing timely security advisories to the government.

Meanwhile, in a related development, First Lady Oluremi Tinubu on Wednesday received a DSS delegation, led by Deputy Director-General Mrs. Afolashade Adekayaoja, at the State House in Abuja. The visit underscored the administration’s commitment to empowering women in leadership roles within the security sector.

Tinubu commended the DSS for appointing a woman to such a high-ranking position, stating that women who have proven themselves in their careers deserve recognition and leadership opportunities. She encouraged female officers to support one another and serve as role models for future generations.

In response, Adekayaoja expressed gratitude for the government’s commitment to gender inclusivity and reaffirmed the DSS’s dedication to ensuring national security and stability.