Human rights lawyer Hamza Dantani has urged security agencies across Nigeria to adopt the Department of State Services (DSS) compensation policy for innocent citizens who suffer wrongful arrests, unlawful detention, or injuries during security operations.
Dantani made the call in a statement titled “DSS Compensation Initiative Sets Standard for Security Agencies,” issued on Tuesday in Abuja.
He praised the Director-General of the DSS, Oluwatosin Ajayi, for introducing the policy, describing it as a landmark step toward strengthening institutional accountability and protecting citizens’ fundamental rights.
According to him, the initiative acknowledges the human cost of operational errors and demonstrates the agency’s willingness to take responsibility when innocent people are wrongly affected.
Dantani cited the case of Nura Idris, a Kaduna-based farmer and herder, who was wrongly accused of having links to Boko Haram before he was cleared and awarded ₦3 million in compensation.
He also referenced Chineze Ozoadibe, an Abuja businesswoman who received ₦10 million after her wrongful arrest over alleged oil bunkering.
The lawyer further mentioned a Sokoto trader who was mistakenly shot during a 2016 security operation in Jos and later received ₦20 million in compensation, alongside lifetime medical care.
“Wrongful arrests and unlawful detention inflict severe financial losses, emotional trauma and lasting reputational damage on innocent victims. While financial compensation cannot completely erase such suffering, it remains a vital acknowledgment that injustice occurred and that the state is willing to accept responsibility,” he said.
Dantani also pointed to the cases of Umar Ibrahim, Bello Rabiu and Jaja Bamo, who shared a compensation package after security agencies cleared them of allegations of banditry and kidnapping.
He added that 11 artisans from Osun State, who were wrongly accused of terrorism-related offenses, were also exonerated and compensated by the DSS.
The legal practitioner stressed that the fight against terrorism, banditry and kidnapping must not come at the expense of constitutional rights and due process.
“National security and respect for fundamental human rights are complementary principles. The pursuit of security must never undermine justice,” he said.
He called on the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Army, Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to institutionalize similar compensation frameworks for victims of operational mistakes.
Dantani also advocated reforms to reduce wrongful arrests, including improved intelligence gathering, stronger forensic investigations, thorough identity verification, continuous human rights training for security personnel and independent complaint review mechanisms.
He maintained that arrest should never serve as punishment or replace proper investigation.
“The true test of any justice system lies not only in its ability to punish offenders, but in its willingness to protect the innocent and correct its mistakes,” he added.
source: NAN
