Newly appointed Acting Director-General of the Department of State Services, DSS, Mathew Seiyifa, has promised to look into complaints of human rights violation against operatives of the service.
Seiyifa, while speaking in Abuja on Thursday, assured that under him, the service would “take a different approach”.
The acting DSS boss pledged to collaborate with other security agencies in the interest of Nigerians.
He, however, declared that the secret police will not be intimidated in the discharge of its constitutional duties.
DSS has, in the past few days, come under attacks by Nigerians over alleged violation of human rights.
The latest been the siege to the National Assembly, an act which led to the sack of the former DG, Lawal Daura.
Speaking, Seiyifa said, ‘‘the service, under my watch, would respect and uphold the legitimate rights of all Nigerians without promoting the individual rights of any person above the interest of the country.
“The service is ready to partner with all stakeholders to contain all forms of national threats in the country.”
He also added that while the DSS would ensure its best to protect the rights of the citizens, it would not tolerate the abuse of freedom of speech by any person.
‘’The service would also protect its constitutional mandate as its reviews the issues which portray the DSS in a bad light.”
However, he stated that some of the issues that are of concern include the alleged detention and trial of criminal suspects in the country.
