A former senior officer of the Department of State Services (DSS), Dennis Amachree, has raised concerns over political interference in the recruitment and operations of the nation’s secret police, warning that the development could undermine professionalism within the organisation.
Amachree made the remarks during an interview with Rudolf Okonkwo on 90MinutesAfrica. While assessing the performance of the DSS, the security analyst said the organisation had trained its personnel professionally but argued that political involvement in its affairs remained a major challenge.
According to him, the mixing of politics with national security could have serious consequences for the country.
“The DSS has done very well, but the only problem I see is the intervention of politicians. When politics is mixed with security, the outcome is never good,” he said.
He called on the National Assembly to examine the issue and consider granting security agencies greater institutional autonomy so they can carry out their responsibilities without undue political interference.
Amachree argued that the DSS should operate as an elite security organisation rather than as a conventional civil service institution, insisting that recruitment should be based strictly on competence and merit.
He stated that politicians sometimes influence recruitment by forwarding lists of their preferred candidates to the Director-General of the DSS.
“The DSS is not civil service but an elite security organisation that should only accept the best of the best,” Amachree said. “But today, politicians would draw up lists of their people and send them to the DG to employ them.”
He warned that such practices could result in the recruitment of individuals who may not meet the professional standards expected of a strategic intelligence organisation.
The author of the recently published memoir, “DSS @40: My Journey Behind the Shield,” maintained that greater independence for the DSS would help protect its recruitment process from political influence and strengthen professionalism within the organisation.
The former DSS officer also expressed concern over the activities of foreign nationals, whom he said could be operating in Nigeria for purposes beyond legitimate business or residence.
He said Nigeria’s welcoming attitude towards foreigners should be accompanied by greater security awareness, noting that some foreign nationals could have private or intelligence-related agendas.
“A lot of foreign agents have entered Nigeria and are taking advantage of the lack of security awareness among the people,” he said.
Amachree, however, acknowledged the DSS’s efforts to improve public awareness through lectures and publicity campaigns.
He also raised concerns over the movement of arms into the country, noting that security agencies should investigate the sources and intended recipients of weapons being intercepted at the borders.
According to him, the reported influx of arms could be particularly significant amid ongoing electoral activities. “The security agencies must look into it and find out the people behind it,” he said.
Amachree further questioned the management of security votes allocated to state governors.
He claimed that about N67 billion was being disbursed to governors monthly as security votes and that the funds were largely unaudited.
“These monies are given to the governors directly. This has become pocket money for the governors because it is unaudited,” Amachree said.
His comments add to the longstanding public debate over the transparency and accountability of security votes, particularly given the substantial security challenges confronting several parts of the country.
Speaking further, Amachree linked illegal mining activities in parts of the country to the financing of banditry and other criminal activities.
He identified Zamfara, Nasarawa, and Kaduna among states with significant natural resources that have not been adequately monitored and regulated.
He compared the situation with the regulation of the oil industry, arguing that stronger government oversight was required to prevent the exploitation and illicit export of solid mineral resources.
According to him, some foreign nationals, particularly itinerant Chinese operators, recruit local residents to engage in crude extraction of mineral resources before the resources are exported.
He further stated that criminal groups, including bandits, have increasingly become involved in the illegal mining economy.
“Remember the bandits occupy the ungoverned spaces, so they fund their operations through illegal mining and kidnapping,” he said.
Amachree also stated that the minerals extracted from these areas are sold through financiers, with some of the proceeds subsequently used to purchase arms for criminal groups.
He therefore called on the government and security agencies to intensify efforts to identify, arrest, and prosecute individuals involved in financing terrorism and banditry.
