… Praises counter-coup operations, interagency cooperation

The Asiwaju Media Team has hailed the Department of State Services and its Director General, Mr Oluwatosin Ajayi, citing intelligence-led interventions that have reportedly prevented major threats to Nigeria’s internal security, including an alleged coup plot against the federal government in 2025.

The media organisation, in a statement released by its director general, Emorioloye Owolemi, harped on what it described as the role of preventive intelligence operations in maintaining national stability, economic development, and democratic governance in the country.

Owolemi emphasised that national security remains fundamental to peace, economic development, political stability, democratic governance and national unity, noting that for a country as complex and diverse as Nigeria, the protection of lives, institutions and national interests requires not only visible security operations but also the capacity to gather, analyse and act upon intelligence before threats develop into full-scale crises.

The media group acknowledged that Nigeria continues to contend with serious security challenges, including terrorism, kidnapping, banditry, arms trafficking, economic sabotage, cybercrime, organised criminality and threats to constitutional order, with intelligence institutions such as the DSS playing an important role because much of their work is preventive and necessarily conducted away from public view.

According to the Asiwaju Media Team, under the leadership of Oluwatosin Ajayi, the DSS has continued to undertake intelligence-led operations directed at identifying and preventing threats to Nigeria’s internal security.

The statement read in part, “A threat that is successfully detected and prevented before it materialises rarely receives the same public attention as a crisis that has already occurred. Yet, from a national security perspective, prevention is often the greater achievement.”

“The reported discovery and disruption of the alleged 2025 coup conspiracy is a reminder that democratic stability cannot be taken for granted. Where credible intelligence indicates a threat to constitutional government, the responsibility of the security establishment is to identify the threat, investigate it professionally and ensure that those responsible are dealt with through the law.”

The Asiwaju Media Team observed that effective intelligence allows governments to identify potential threats before they escalate, enabling security agencies to deploy resources more strategically and reduce the possibility of large-scale disruption.

“During my own period in DSS detention, I personally observed arrangements relating to the feeding and welfare of detainees. Detainees were provided with meals regularly, including arrangements whereby officers asked detainees what they wished to eat and obtained food for them. I also observed the provision of basic personal care items such as toothbrushes and toothpaste, as well as access to medical attention. The welfares were not exchanged with bail funds. Bail is purely free.

“Commending the work of DSS does not mean abandoning the principles of accountability. The DSS, like every other public institution, must continue to operate within the Constitution and the law. Respect for human rights, due process, professional conduct and humane treatment of persons in custody must remain integral to national security operations.”

The Asiwaju Media Team emphasised that effective security and respect for fundamental rights should complement rather than contradict each other, with public confidence strengthened when citizens know that security agencies are capable of protecting the nation while simultaneously respecting the law.

The media organisation concluded that Nigeria needs security institutions that are intelligent, proactive, professional, accountable and humane, adding that the country also needs citizens, political actors, the media and civil society to understand that national security is a collective responsibility.