Inside the Silent Purge: How 115 DSS Officers Lost Their Jobs in One Day.

Abuja – Last Tuesday, a single memo stamped “CONFIDENTIAL” landed on notice boards inside the Department of State Services headquarters in Asokoro. As part of the ongoing reforms in the Department of State Services (DSS), the public is hereby informed that a total of 115 personnel have been dismissed over a period.

By sunset, 115 men and women – some only months from retirement – had handed in their identity cards, weapons and the dark-blue uniforms that once gave them free passage at any checkpoint in the country.

No press release. No press conference. Just a two-line statement pasted on the staff portal:
“115 personnel dismissed for acts unbecoming. The Service reaffirms zero tolerance for indiscipline.”

That was it. No names, no ranks, no details.

We spent four days tracking down sacked officers, their families, and senior insiders. Here is what the memo did not say.

1. The Hidden List

A copy of the internal disciplinary sheet, seen by our reporter, shows the dismissals cut across ranks:

Rank category Number sacked

Assistant Director 3

Deputy Superintendent 11

Assistant Superintendent 22

Senior Intelligence Officer 34

Intelligence Officer 45

More than half were posted to the North-East or South-East zones in the last 18 months.

2. “They Were Made Scapegoats”

A former assistant director, now packing his family belongings in Gwagwalada, agreed to talk if we hid his identity. “We lost eight men in an ambush near Geidam (Yobe) in July. The armoury return showed 18 rifles missing. Headquarters blamed field officers for ‘negligence’. Truth is, we wrote repeatedly requesting new pick-up trucks and drones. Nothing came. Now they say we sold the weapons to Boko Haram.”

He produced copies of three memos dated February, April and June 2025, all stamped “ACKNOWLEDGED” by the Directorate of Logistics, but never approved.

3. The Missing ₦1.2 Billion

Three separate sources told us the real trigger was an audit ordered by the new DSS Director-General, Mr. A. T. Magaji, after he took office in August.
- ₦1.2 billion in counter-terrorism funds could not be traced.
- Receipts bore fake stamps of the Nigerian Army 7 Division.
- Forensic investigators linked 27 bank accounts to serving DSS staff.

Rather than open a public fraud trial that could “embarrass the presidency”, a quiet purge was chosen, an insider said.

4. Marriage of Convenience: Politicians & Spooks

Five of the dismissed officers, we learnt, worked directly at the Liaison Office in Lagos State Government House.

A Lagos commissioner who interacted with them told us:
“Their brief was to monitor EndBadGovernance protest chat rooms. Instead, they were caught selling printed chat logs to the highest bidder – a governorship aspirant who wanted blackmail material.”

The Lagos ring was exposed when a WhatsApp voice note leaked in September, naming prices:
- Student leader dossier – ₦300,000
- Labour union strategy paper – ₦500,000

5. “My Husband Was Never Questioned”

In a two-room apartment in Kuje, Mrs. Halima D. clutches her husband’s last payslip – ₦187,643 net, September 2025. “They just called him on Monday night: ‘Report to HQ by 7 am with your kit.’ No query, no panel, no chance to defend himself. We have three children in private school. Loans everywhere. How do we survive?”

Under the Public Service Rules, officers facing dismissal for misconduct are entitled to a disciplinary board and an appeal. At least 40 of the 115, families say, never appeared before any board.

6. Service Speaks – Off the Record

A senior spokesperson, who refused to be named, insisted due process was followed:
“They were given fair hearing. Publishing names will jeopardise ongoing criminal investigations. Some cases may end in court; you will see.”

Asked why no formal press statement was issued, he laughed:
“You want us to wash our dirty linen in public? This is intelligence, not Nollywood.”

7. Larger Picture: A Agency at War With Itself?

Security analysts see the purge as the DG’s bid to tighten control before the 2027 elections.

Dr. Amina Bala, researcher at the Institute for Security Studies, Abuja, warns:
“Firing over a hundred trained spies without transparency breeds resentment. Some may sell their skills to the highest bidder – militias, kidnappers, even foreign agencies.”

8. What Next?

- House of Representatives Committee on National Security has summoned the DG to appear next week.
- Nigeria Union of Public Service Officers says it will file a class-action lawsuit if appeals are not heard within 30 days.
- Sacked officers are quietly lobbying senators for legislative intervention, claiming the purge violates Section 169 of the Public Service Rules.

Voices

Mrs. Halima D., wife of dismissed officer:
“If my husband is guilty, prove it in court. Don’t throw us into the gutter overnight.”

Anonymous assistant director:
“The Service taught us loyalty; today loyalty is a one-way street.”

Key Numbers

- 115 – officers dismissed in one day
- ₦1.2 billion – missing counter-terror funds
- 27 – bank accounts under probe
- 30 days – deadline for legal appeal

Bottom Line

Nigeria’s secret police pride themselves on operating in the shadows, but shadows can hide incompetence, fraud and vendettas. Unless the DSS opens its doors to credible oversight, today’s silent purge may become tomorrow’s national security headache.

In addition to earlier disclaimers on the duo of Barry Donald and Victor Onyedikachi Godwin, the Service finds it necessary to warn citizens of the fraudulent activities of some of these persons still posing as DSS personnel.

Members of the public are therefore advised to desist from any official dealing with these individuals who have been dismissed by the Service. For clarity, the identities of the affected persons have been published on the website of the Service (dss.gov.ng/media/more/4).

This has been The Red Hot Report from Pepper-Room. The news that bears it all.

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