A legal practitioner and human rights advocate, Hamza Dantani, has called on security agencies across Nigeria to adopt the Department of State Services’ (DSS) policy of compensating innocent citizens who are wrongly arrested, unlawfully detained or harmed during security operations.
Dantani praised the Director-General of the DSS, Oluwatosin Ajayi, for introducing compensation for victims of wrongful arrests and operational mistakes, describing the move as bold, unprecedented and worthy of national recognition.
In a statement issued on Monday, he said security agencies have a constitutional responsibility not only to protect the country but also to accept responsibility whenever innocent people suffer because of their actions.
“This is a bold, commendable and unprecedented gesture that deserves national recognition,” he said.
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“It shows that while security agencies have a duty to safeguard the nation, they also have a moral and legal obligation to acknowledge mistakes and provide remedies for innocent citizens whose rights have been violated.”
Dantani stressed that efforts to tackle terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other crimes should never come at the expense of justice and respect for human rights.
“The fight against terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other forms of criminality is a national priority. However, the pursuit of security must never come at the expense of justice. National security and respect for fundamental human rights are complementary, not opposing, principles,” he said.
He noted that the DSS had demonstrated that admitting and correcting mistakes does not weaken a security institution but instead strengthens public confidence.
According to him, “The recent compensation initiative by the DSS proves that institutions can correct their errors without compromising their effectiveness. In fact, such accountability builds public trust and reinforces the principle that no authority is above the law.”
Dantani highlighted several publicly known cases of compensation by the DSS. These include Kaduna farmer and herder Nura Idris, who received ₦3 million after being wrongly linked to Boko Haram; Abuja businesswoman Chineze Ozoadibe, who was awarded ₦10 million following her wrongful arrest over alleged oil bunkering; and a Sokoto-based trader who received ₦20 million and lifetime medical care after he was mistakenly shot during a security operation in Jos in 2016.
He also mentioned Umar Ibrahim, Alhaji Bello Rabiu and Jaja Sarki Bamo, who were compensated after being wrongly arrested over allegations of banditry and kidnapping, as well as 11 artisans from Osun State who were cleared of terrorism-related allegations and received compensation.
Dantani said these were only the cases known to the public, adding that many other victims may not have received similar attention.
He explained that wrongful arrests and unlawful detention often leave victims with lasting emotional, financial and reputational damage.
“Although money cannot fully restore lost time, damaged reputations or emotional trauma, compensation is an important acknowledgement that an injustice occurred and that the state is prepared to take responsibility,” he said.
The lawyer urged the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and other law enforcement agencies to introduce similar compensation policies whenever investigations show that innocent people were wrongly arrested, detained or injured during official operations.
He also recommended reforms aimed at reducing wrongful arrests, including better intelligence gathering, stronger identity verification, improved forensic investigations, closer inter-agency collaboration, regular human rights training for security personnel and independent mechanisms to review complaints against security agencies.
“Professionalism demands caution before anyone is deprived of their liberty. Arrest should never become a punishment, and detention should never replace proper investigation,” he said.
Commending the DSS Director-General once again, Dantani said the compensation initiative had set a positive example for other security agencies to follow.
He expressed hope that it would usher in a new era of accountability, respect for constitutional rights and justice for innocent citizens affected by wrongful arrests or operational errors.
“The true measure of a nation’s justice system is not only its ability to punish the guilty, but also its willingness to protect the innocent and correct its own mistakes whenever they occur,” he said.
