Police, EFCC, Army urged to emulate DSS compensation model

A legal practitioner and human rights advocate, Hamza Dantani, has called on security agencies across Nigeria to adopt the Department of State Services (DSS) policy of compensating innocent citizens who are wrongly arrested, unlawfully detained or harmed during security operations.

Dantani made the appeal while commending the Director-General of the DSS, Oluwatosin Ajayi, for introducing compensation for victims of wrongful arrests and operational mistakes, describing the initiative as a landmark step toward strengthening accountability within the country’s security architecture.

In a statement titled, “DSS Compensation Initiative Sets Standard for Security Agencies,” the lawyer said the move deserved national recognition because it demonstrated that security agencies could acknowledge errors without undermining their effectiveness.

According to him, agencies charged with protecting the nation also have a constitutional, legal and moral responsibility to provide redress when innocent citizens suffer violations of their rights.

“This is a bold, commendable and unprecedented gesture that deserves national recognition,” Dantani said.

“It demonstrates that while security agencies have a constitutional responsibility to protect the nation, they also have a moral and legal obligation to acknowledge mistakes and provide remedies to innocent citizens whose rights have been violated.”

He stressed that efforts to combat terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other forms of criminality must always be carried out within the bounds of the law and with respect for fundamental human rights.

“The fight against terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other forms of criminality is a national priority. However, the pursuit of security must never come at the expense of justice. National security and respect for fundamental human rights are complementary principles that strengthen one another,” he said.

Dantani noted that the DSS had demonstrated that public institutions could admit and correct operational errors while retaining public confidence.

According to him, accountability strengthens trust between security agencies and the citizens they are meant to protect.

The human rights advocate cited several publicly known beneficiaries of the DSS compensation policy, including Nura Idris, a Kaduna-based farmer and herder who reportedly received ₦3 million after being wrongly linked to Boko Haram activities.

He also mentioned Chineze Ozoadibe, an Abuja businesswoman who was awarded ₦10 million following her wrongful arrest over allegations of oil bunkering.

Dantani further referred to a Sokoto-based trader who reportedly received ₦20 million and lifetime medical care after he was mistakenly shot during a security operation in Jos in 2016.

Other beneficiaries, he said, include Umar Ibrahim, Alhaji Bello Rabiu and Jaja Sarki Bamo, who shared a compensation package after being wrongfully arrested over allegations of banditry and kidnapping, as well as 11 artisans from Osun State who were exonerated of terrorism-related allegations and compensated.

He observed that wrongful arrests and unlawful detention often inflict severe financial losses, emotional trauma and reputational damage on victims.

While acknowledging that financial compensation cannot completely erase such suffering, he said it remains an important recognition that injustice had occurred and that the state was willing to accept responsibility.

Dantani urged the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Army, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and other law enforcement bodies to institutionalise similar compensation mechanisms whenever innocent citizens are found to have been wrongfully arrested, detained or injured during official operations.

He also advocated reforms aimed at preventing wrongful arrests, including improved intelligence gathering, better identity verification, enhanced forensic investigations, stronger inter-agency collaboration, continuous human rights training for security personnel and independent review mechanisms to investigate complaints.

According to him, professionalism requires security agencies to exercise caution before depriving citizens of their liberty.

“An arrest should never be treated as punishment, and detention should never become a substitute for proper investigation,” he said.

Dantani concluded by commending the DSS Director-General for setting what he described as a positive example for other security institutions, expressing hope that the initiative would usher in a new era of accountability, respect for constitutional rights and justice for innocent Nigerians affected by operational errors.

He added that the true test of any justice system lies not only in its ability to punish offenders but also in its willingness to protect the innocent and correct its mistakes whenever they occur.