Religious bias claims against DSS harmful, says Arewa Group

A group, Concerned Arewa Youth Council, has cautioned Nigerians against spreading allegations capable of undermining national security.

The group spoke amid claims in some quarters that the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi, is religiously biased in the agency’s arrest pattern.

Addressing a press conference, the group’s spokesperson, Abdulsamad Ibrahim, said the growing wave of misinformation and negative public perception around security operations was worsening the country’s fragile security situation.

He stressed that security agencies could not effectively tackle threats without the understanding, cooperation and support of citizens.

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He described as “irresponsible and harmful” the narrative suggesting that the DSS boss ordered arrests based on religious identities.

While noting that the group does not interfere in operational matters of security agencies, Ibrahim emphasised that “institutions like the DSS operate within constitutional and legal frameworks.”

According to him, in modern democracies, the success of national security largely depended on collaboration between the public and institutions responsible for safeguarding life and property.

Ibrahim lamented that many Nigerians still interpreted crimes through the lenses of religion and ethnicity rather than as violations of the law.

He noted that such tendencies allowed criminal elements in communities to evade justice while innocent citizens suffered the consequences.

The spokesperson added that instead of supporting authorities to identify and prosecute offenders, some individuals and groups politicised security matters or framed them along sectarian lines.

He expressed concern that actions taken by security agencies were often misrepresented, especially on social media where misinformation spreads rapidly.

Ibrahim cited the recent arrest of some social media activists and influencers over posts considered capable of inciting unrest, as an example.

Rather than allowing due process take its course, he said, some commentators rushed to the public space with allegations and unsubstantiated narratives.

According to him, such allegations, which he stressed were often driven by political, ethnic or religious sentiments, risked undermining public confidence in national institutions.

He urged Nigerians, particularly social media users and public commentators, to exercise restraint, verify information before dissemination, and allow lawful processes to determine culpability or innocence.

By promoting unity, responsible communication and constructive engagement with security institutions, Nigerians can contribute to building a safer and more stable nation, he declared.