DSS Official advocates mandatory recruitment of first-class graduates into secret service

Patrick Ikenweiwe, a deputy director at the Department of State Services (DSS), has called for the compulsory enlistment of first-class graduates into Nigeria’s secret service to enhance the country’s security framework.

Speaking on Wednesday at the 2025 Distinguished Personality Lecture organized by the Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies, University of Ilorin, Kwara State, Ikenweiwe emphasized the need for highly intellectual individuals in security operations. He represented DSS Director-General, Adeola Ajayi, at the event and delivered a lecture titled “The Roles of the DSS in Security, Peacekeeping, and National Integration.”

According to Ikenweiwe, academic institutions should supply the DSS with their top-performing graduates, as individuals with low academic performance should not be entrusted with the country’s security.

“If I have my way, the best of the lot from every academic institution must be forced to serve in the secret service; that is how it is in the so-called developed nations,” he said.

Citing Israel as an example, he noted that their university entrance exam system ensures that those who score above 70 marks are automatically enrolled in higher education, implying that a similar approach could be applied to security recruitment in Nigeria.

“Tell me, how would a dullard be able to keep security in a criminal gang that is constituted of first-class people? You know, you need intellect to track criminality,” he added.

Ikenweiwe further urged the academic sector to cooperate by providing details of outstanding students for compulsory national service in security, stressing that recruiting the best minds is crucial for strengthening intelligence and national security.