Fresh facts have emerged revealing why the Department of State Services (DSS) dismissed 115 of its officers. Credible security sources told the Sunday PUNCH that the officers were found guilty of offences capable of undermining the integrity of the service — including certificate forgery, fraudulent practices, acts of indiscipline and leaking of official information.

The DSS announced the dismissals on Tuesday via a statement on its official X account, publishing photos and dismissal dates of the affected personnel and warning members of the public against any official dealings with them.
The action comes just weeks after the DSS arrested two former officers, Barry Donald and Victor Onyedikachi Godwin, accused of impersonating DSS personnel to defraud unsuspecting individuals.

The cleansing drive

Multiple sources report the list includes officers with pending disciplinary cases. A top DSS officer told the Sunday PUNCH that the current DG, Adeola Ajayi, is actively “cleansing the service” to restore discipline, integrity and public trust. Many of the dismissed officers had been queried under the previous DG’s tenure but remained in the service despite repeat infractions.

Some were also found to have travelled abroad or resigned improperly; others were allegedly employed on the basis of fake certificates — including short-term Arabic institute credentials, mosque certificates passed off as degrees, or overseas study credentials completed in just months. One insider remarked: “It is not possible for people who are not truthful about themselves to work in this service.”

Reform or risk exposure?

Commenting on the move, former DSS director Mike Ejiofor said the dismissals formed part of the ongoing reform agenda within the agency. Meanwhile, security expert Kabir Adamu voiced concern about the public release of names and images of dismissed officers, saying it exposed them to danger, foreign intelligence recruitment and recruitment by militant groups.