The Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi, has ordered the immediate release of Nura Idris, a farmer and livestock rearer who was wrongfully detained over alleged links to the Boko Haram terrorist group.
The release follows a comprehensive review by a DSS investigation panel, which cleared Idris of all allegations of collaborating with insurgents.
In a landmark gesture of accountability, the DGSS also approved a N3 million compensation package to assist Idris in meeting his immediate needs and pledged further support to help him rebuild his business.
Idris, a native of Soba Local Government Area in Kaduna State, was originally arrested by a sister security agency in Suleja, Niger State, in June 2024. He was later transferred to DSS custody, where he remained until the review panel found no evidence to support the claims against him.
Upon receiving the compensation, Idris expressed his gratitude to the DSS leadership. “I thank the DGSS for his kindness. I was well treated in DSS custody and I pray that Allah rewards him immensely,” he said. His father, Yusuf Idris, who received him, assured that the funds would be used to restart his son’s livelihood.
The move is part of an ongoing internal audit initiated by the Service to review inherited and prolonged detention cases. According to a senior security source, the exercise aims to ensure that no individual is held without justification.
“The Service under the current DG is demonstrating that safeguarding national security must go hand-in-hand with upholding the rights and dignity of citizens,” the source stated.
The review has reportedly covered more than 30 cases so far, with over N300 million paid in compensation to those cleared of wrongdoing. Other recent beneficiaries include Abuja businesswoman Chineze Ozoadibe and Kenneth Okechukwu Nwafor, both of whom were cleared of alleged ties to proscribed groups and granted financial support for reintegration.
