It is not often that people like me praise security agents in Nigeria
From the Nigeria Police Force to the military , its a glaring fact that the many Nigerians don't have faith in our security agents
Rather than being a protective force , some men in uniform see themselves as special beings from other planets
The uniform has a special way of making some security agents behave as if they are above the law
The civilians in Nigerian therefore see the military and security agents as mere oppressors rather than friends
Although there are several security agents too across board who are thorough bred professionals , who do their jobs with utmost respect
I don't want to dwell so much about other agencies , today my focus is on Nigeria's secret police known as DSS or SSS ( whichever name you wants to call it )
My first knowledge of DSS dates back to the 80s when it was known as NSO under the government of Shehu Shagari ( if my memory serves me right )
I remember that at a time ,It was headed by one Mr Rafindadi or so
The fear of DSS under those inglorious days of military is also better imagined
They were credited with so many clandestine activities , some far far beyond their mandates
We also knew how the agency was successfully used by some politicians to suppress and oppress their opponents
Not too far ago , we saw how former President Muhammadu Buhari used the DSS to instill fears on Nigerians and his opponents
Readily coming to mind was how Buhari used the DSS to invade the residence of several Judges , in total violation of their fundamental human rights
They invaded their homes , ransacked their houses and whisked them away like common criminals
Don't get me wrong , I will not support any level of corruption, but there are more dignifying ways to go about such issues
That for me was the lowest moment in the life of the DSS
Nigerians condemned the action of the Agency and their global ratings plummeted
Many were of the opinion that an agency like the DSS should have be above board in their activities
But things have changed for the better for the agency since the appointment of Mr Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi as the current DG
Ajayi within the short time he has been in the saddle has repositioned the agency as a truly professional force
The agency has become so meticulous in its approach to security matters and the results are there for everyone to see
The DSS has fully gone back to its major role as a spy agency , with back to back successes , some of which are not even mentioned in the media
It has become less visible unlike what we had in the past
It's recent achievements include the arrest of several terrorist leaders across the country
Some have been on the run for years
These achievements were acknowledged recently by no less a person than the National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu
The DG has also been a strong advocate for self defence by Nigerians ( it is my hope that this policy would see the light of the day )
One of the reasons for this post is the recent activities of the agency on it's altercations with Omoyele Sowore
If it were the DSS of old , Omoyele Sowore would have been arrested and kept under detention over his comments on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu where he described the President as a " Criminal "
Rather than arresting the politician and activist , the agency formally wrote Sowore to delete the post and when he refused, it decided to sue him
That is commendable, that is the most reasonable thing to do
The agency has also taking inter agencies cooperation very seriously
I've not met Mr Ajayi in my life , I don't even have a single friend in DSS unlike other Security agencies where I have loads of friends
But I think Mr Adeola Ajayi should be commended for the new level of professionalism he has brought to the agency
It is not yet uhuru though, the agency still have some flaws which need immediate attention but for now , he is good to go , this is work in progress
A new Nigeria is indeed possible
Well done Sir 👏
Chris Kehinde Nwandu is Executive Editor CKNNews