Dantani Urges Security Agencies To Adopt DSS Compensation Policy For Wrongful Arrests

A legal practitioner and human rights advocate, Hamza Dantani, has called on security agencies across Nigeria to institutionalise compensation for innocent citizens who are wrongly arrested, unlawfully detained or harmed during official operations, urging them to emulate the Department of State Services (DSS).

Dantani made the appeal while commending the Director-General of the DSS, Oluwatosin Ajayi, for introducing a compensation policy for victims of wrongful arrests and operational errors, describing the initiative as a landmark step towards promoting accountability and public trust within Nigeria’s security architecture.

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

According to him, agencies responsible for safeguarding the nation also have constitutional, legal and moral obligations to provide redress whenever 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 the fight against terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other forms of criminality must always be conducted within the bounds of the law and with full 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 added.

Dantani said the DSS had demonstrated that public institutions could acknowledge and correct operational errors while retaining public confidence, noting that accountability strengthens trust between security agencies and the citizens they are mandated to protect.

To underscore the impact of the policy, he cited several publicly known beneficiaries of the DSS compensation initiative, including Kaduna-based farmer and herder, Nura Idris, who reportedly received ₦3 million after being wrongly linked to Boko Haram activities, and Abuja businesswoman, Chineze Ozoadibe, who was awarded ₦10 million following her wrongful arrest over allegations of oil bunkering.

He also 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 compensation 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.

According to the human rights advocate, wrongful arrests and unlawful detention often inflict severe financial losses, emotional trauma and lasting reputational damage on victims. While financial compensation cannot completely erase such suffering, he said it remains an important acknowledgement that an injustice occurred and that the state is willing to take responsibility.

He 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 wrongfully arrested, detained or injured during official operations.

Dantani also advocated reforms to reduce cases of 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 for investigating 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.

He commended 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.

Dantani 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, admit mistakes and provide effective remedies whenever citizens are wrongfully harmed by the actions of the state.