New facts have emerged regarding the dismissal of 115 officers from the Department of State Services (DSS), following internal investigations that found them guilty of offences deemed capable of undermining the integrity of the secret police.
Multiple security sources who spoke to Sunday Punch revealed that the dismissed officers were implicated in offences ranging from fraudulent practices, indiscipline, certificate forgery, to leaking official information.
A senior insider confirmed that several officers engaged in behaviour considered unacceptable for an intelligence agency.
One source said, “Some of them even leaked official information, which is a serious offence.”
Others were found guilty of presenting forged academic credentials, including birth certificates, fake degrees from foreign institutions, and even certificates obtained from religious centres, as part of their employment documentation.
Another senior official added, “These are bad eggs. They used forged birth certificates for employment. Some attended schools in Benin Republic for only four months and presented the certificates as degrees. Others even used mosque certificates as equivalents of a degree.”
On Tuesday, the DSS announced the dismissal on its 𝕏 account and published the photos and dismissal dates of the affected personnel, warning the public to avoid all official dealings with them.
This level of transparency marks a departure from the agency’s previous practice, as disciplinary actions within the DSS were rarely made public.
The announcement came three weeks after the arrest of two former officers, Barry Donald and Victor Godwin, accused of impersonating DSS personnel to defraud unsuspecting Nigerians.
Sunday Punch gathered that the purge is part of a larger effort by the current DSS Director-General, Adeola Ajayi, to restore discipline within the agency.
A top intelligence officer said, “Some of the dismissed officers were fast becoming rogues and threatening the integrity of the service. The DSS doesn’t joke with its integrity.
“The current DG doesn’t tolerate indiscipline. He is trying to reform the service and restore it to what it used to be. What is happening now is the cleansing of the system.”
Sources disclosed that several dismissed officers already had pending disciplinary issues before the current DG assumed office.
A DSS member revealed, “Some officers were queried during the last DG’s tenure without punishment, while others received minor sanctions. When they committed the same offences again, the current DG asked them to go.”
Another insider noted that about 15 to 20 per cent of the dismissed officers had travelled abroad without formally resigning.
He said, “They were dismissed for improper resignation. The DG wants to instil a stronger sense of discipline and discourage attitudes that were previously overlooked.”
Security officials said the DSS published the identities of the dismissed personnel to protect the public and prevent misuse of the agency’s name.
A senior officer explained, “It is not possible for people who are not truthful about themselves to work in this service. They are trained personnel, and the government is watching them to ensure they don’t use the agency’s name to perpetrate illicit acts.”
“That is why their photos were released—so that people will not have dealings with them.”
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