The Director General of the Asiwaju Media Team, Prince Emorioloye Owolemi, has applauded the efforts of the Directorate of State Security (DSS) in tackling insecurity and sustaining peace and stability in the country.

Owolemi also commended the Director General of the agency, Mr Oluwatosin Ajayi, for his role in National security, which is fundamental to peace, economic development, political stability, democratic governance, and national unity.

In a statement, Owolemi said the role of the secret agency is crucial in a country as complex and diverse as Nigeria. He said protecting lives, institutions, and critical national interests requires not only visible security operations but, more importantly, the capacity to gather, analyse, and act on intelligence before threats develop into full-scale crises.

In a country contending with serious security challenges, including terrorism, kidnapping, banditry, arms trafficking, economic sabotage, cybercrime, organised criminality and threats to constitutional order, Owolemi said the DSS played a particularly important role because much of their work is preventive and necessarily conducted away from public view

Since Ajayi was appointed the DG, DSS, Owolemi said the service has continued to undertake intelligence-led operations aimed at identifying and preventing threats to Nigeria’s internal security.

Owolemi said one of the most significant publicly reported examples of intelligence-led intervention during his tenure was the alleged 2025 coup plot against the Federal Government.

According to him, the DSS independently gathered intelligence suggesting that serving military officers were allegedly planning to destabilise the government and undermine Nigeria’s democratic order.

He said the Director General was reported to have personally briefed the then Chief of Army Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, after which the Army and DSS coordinated a discreet operation that resulted in arrests of suspected participants.

Owolemi said subsequent investigations identified dozens of suspects and examined allegations involving military officers, civilians and others. He said the alleged conspiracy reportedly included plans to seize strategic national installations and target senior political and military officials.

Regardless of the eventual judicial outcomes of those proceedings, Owolemi said the episode illustrated the importance of early warning intelligence, inter-agency cooperation and preventive action in protecting constitutional government.

He said: “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 DSS’s statutory responsibilities place intelligence gathering and internal security at the centre of its operations. Its work encompasses counter-intelligence, counter terrorism support, protection of critical national interests, detection of threats to national security and collaboration with other security institutions.

“Effective intelligence allows government to identify potential threats before they escalate. It also enables security agencies to deploy resources more strategically and reduce the possibility of large-scale disruption.

“For ordinary citizens, the ultimate measure of security is the ability to live, travel, work, trade and conduct legitimate activities without living under constant fear.

“Across parts of the South West and other regions of Nigeria, citizens have continued to demand and benefit from stronger security coordination. Although security challenges have certainly not disappeared, improvements in intelligence sharing and preventive operations can contribute significantly to public confidence, commercial activity and economic stability.”

Owolemi said a secure environment is also essential for investment, saying businesses cannot flourish where entrepreneurs are afraid to travel, transport goods or establish operations.

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