Emmanuel Clement
In a nation as diverse and dynamic as Nigeria, the effectiveness of national security cannot solely rest on state institutions, therefore the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr. Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi, MON,Department of State Services (DSS) is adopting a community-led approach to national security, empowering citizens to become active stakeholders in the fight against crime, extremism, and insecurity.
Investigator news reports that uder Mr. Ajayi’s visionary leadership, the DSS has begun to deepen grassroots engagement by integrating local intelligence networks, enhancing civic trust, and fostering synergy between communities and security agencies.
This paradigm does not merely decentralize security intelligence;rather democratizes it, empowering citizens to become active stakeholders in the fight against crime, extremism, and insecurity.
Ajayi’s renewed approach acknowledges that communities are often the first to sense early warning signs of threats,that is from suspicious activities to potential radicalization.
By establishing structured, yet discreet, feedback and liaison mechanisms with traditional institutions, youth networks, and civil society organizations, the DSS is creating a participatory model that is both proactive and preventative.
This shift complements Ajayi’s broader agenda of refocusing the DSS towards covert intelligence, inter-agency collaboration, and technological innovation.
However, the community-led approach stands out as a deeply human-centric strategy, one that nurtures trust, builds national consciousness, and reclaims vulnerable spaces before they are exploited by hostile elements.
At a time when national threats are increasingly sophisticated, the need for an inclusive security ecosystem has never been more urgent.
Mr. Ajayi’s embrace of community-based vigilance as a cornerstone of national defense signals a transformative era for internal security, where every citizen, from city centers to rural enclaves, plays a part in safeguarding Nigeria’s peace, unity, and sovereignty.
