The recent payout of ten million naira, supplemented by another ten million naira from the Director-General of the Department of State Security Service (DSS), to a Sokoto businessman has sparked serious concerns about unchecked power abuse by security operatives and the glaring flaws within Nigeria’s justice system.
Development Diaries reports that the businessman who was shot by DSS operatives in 2016 has finally received justice six years after the agency refused to comply with a court judgment delivered against them.
While this compensation represents a rare acknowledgement of state wrongdoing, it also raises pressing concerns about accountability, impunity, and the fundamental rights of Nigerian citizens.
A man wrongfully attacked in his home, shot without provocation, and abandoned by the very agency meant to protect him. This is not an isolated incident but a glaring symptom of unchecked state power.
How many more innocent Nigerians must endure such suffering before real reform takes place? How many lives will be disrupted or lost before security agencies adopt protocols that prioritise accuracy, accountability, and the rights of citizens?
The price of this tragic error was far greater than financial loss. It resulted in a severe injury that left the businessman with a lifelong disability, destroyed his thriving business, plunged him into insurmountable debt, and ultimately contributed to the deaths of his two young children.
If not for the perseverance of his lawyer and public advocacy, would this man ever have received justice? His story is a stark reminder of how difficult it is for ordinary Nigerians to demand accountability from the security forces.
Law enforcement agencies must be subject to independent oversight bodies empowered to investigate and discipline officers involved in extrajudicial actions. Cases like this should not require six years of legal battles to be addressed.
Development Diaries calls on President Bola Tinubu to immediately put in place measures that guarantee the DSS and other security agencies adhere strictly to human rights provisions under the Nigerian constitution.
Arbitrary arrests, the use of excessive force, and disregard for due process must attract severe legal consequences.
We also urge the government to establish a fund dedicated to compensating victims of police and military brutality, ensuring that innocent people do not have to fight for years to receive restitution.
Photo source: OfficialDSSNG
