Nigerian lawyer urges security agencies to adopt DSS compensation model

A Nigerian legal practitioner, Hamza Dantani, is calling on the nation's security agencies to emulate the Department of State Services' policy of compensating citizens who suffer harm during operations. Dantani commended the DSS Director-General, Oluwatosin Ajayi, for this initiative, describing it as a "bold and unprecedented gesture."

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This is a bold, commendable, and unprecedented gesture that deserves national recognition.

He argued that while security forces have a duty to protect the country, they also bear a legal and moral obligation to acknowledge and rectify mistakes that violate the rights of innocent individuals. Dantani stressed that the fight against terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping must not undermine the rule of law or fundamental human rights, stating that national security and human rights are complementary, not opposing, ideals.

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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.

The lawyer highlighted that the DSS's compensation policy demonstrates that institutions can admit and correct errors without diminishing their operational effectiveness. Instead, he suggested, such accountability strengthens public trust and reinforces the principle that no authority is above the law.

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However, the pursuit of security must never come at the expense of justice. National security and respect for fundamental human rights are not opposing ideals; they are complementary principles that strengthen one another.

Dantani cited specific examples of DSS compensation, including a Kaduna farmer and herder who received ₦3 million after being wrongly linked to Boko Haram, an Abuja businesswoman awarded ₦10 million following a wrongful arrest over oil bunkering allegations, and a Sokoto trader who received ₦20 million and lifetime healthcare after being mistakenly shot during a 2016 operation. He also mentioned three individuals who received compensation after being wrongly arrested on banditry and kidnapping charges.

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The recent compensation initiative by the DSS is evidence that institutions can correct their errors without compromising their operational effectiveness.