DSS Director General Ajayi Honoured with ‘Courage in Leadership Award’ by Rights Group

The Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Yusuf Magaji Bichi (retd.), has been honoured with the ‘Courage in Leadership Award’ by the Nigerian Human Rights League. The award, which was presented during the league’s Annual Human Rights Conference in Abuja on Saturday, was in recognition of Ajayi’s efforts towards modernising Nigeria’s intelligence architecture. According to the rights group, the new era of rule-of-law compliance, judicial respect, and victim compensation under Ajayi’s leadership has been commendable. The league stated that the honour has validated the modernisation of Nigeria’s intelligence architecture, which has been a significant focus for Ajayi since he took office in 2019. This development comes at a time when the DSS is facing increased scrutiny over its activities, particularly its alleged involvement in the arrest and detention of journalists and political opponents. However, Ajayi has been lauded for his commitment to professionalism and respect for the rule of law, which has been a departure from the practices of his predecessors. The DSS has not said when the facility began operating, but Ajayi has been pushing for the agency to improve its transparency and accountability in its operations.