The Director-General of the Department of State Service (DSS), Mr Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi, has approved the payment of N10 million as compensation to a Sokoto based businessman, who was mistakenly shot in 2016 by operatives of the Service during a raid in Jos, Plateau State.
The approval of the compensation by the DSS DG to the victim was predicated upon the judgement of a Federal High Court, sitting in Bauchi that was delivered in 2018 which directed the DSS to compensate him with N10 million as violation of his rights.
A dependable source within the Service, confided on Forefront News that not only did the Director General, Mr Ajayi approved the payment of the long overdue compensatory money ordered by the court, but also added an extra N10 million to assist the victim rebuild his life.
It was gathered that for six years, the businessman lived with pain, loss, and financial ruin after operatives of the Service shot him in his home as he was mistaken for a wanted suspect.
The businessman, who requested anonymity for security reasons, noted that particular night, his life took a devastating turn, saying; “they first banged on my neighbours’ doors, asking for me. When they broke into my apartment, they asked for my name which I told them, but they didn’t believe me. They thought I was lying, so they shot me in the thigh”.
It was further gathered that unknown to the operatives, the real suspect, a gunrunner with a similar name, was living elsewhere.
However, some hours after shooting the businessman, operatives of the Service arrested the actual suspect who was later transported to Abuja while the injured businessman was taken to the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), but was abandoned there by the operatives.
The businessman’s condition later worsened when doctors at JUTH went on strike, thus had to be transferred to a military hospital before relocating from Jos.
Information pieced together by Forefront News indicated that the aftermath of the shooting was devastating as the businessman, who once ran a thriving fertilizer business with over N5 million in capital, lost everything as he was believed to have spent his savings on medical bills while mounting debts forced him out of his rented home and was also unable to sustain his family, a development that forced him to relocate to Sokoto, where he endured further tragedy.
A source close to the businessman said; “One of his daughters died of malaria and typhoid in 2019 and a year later, his six-year-old daughter died of the same illness”.
It was further gathered that with no stable source of income, the businessman had to rely on the generosity of family members for survival.
The businessman said; “I had to take loans totalling N8.7 million just to keep my family afloat. Despite enduring physical pain from my fractured limb, I had to fight for justice”.
In 2016, with the help of his lawyer, Mr Akibu Idris, the businessman sued the DSS and the then Director-General, Lawal Daura, before a Federal High Court in Bauchi, which eventually ruled in his favour on February 2, 2018, and awarded him N10 million as compensation for the violation of his fundamental rights under Sections 33 and 34 of the 1999 Constitution.
However, instead of complying with the Court judgement, the DSS filed an appeal on February 23, 2018, seeking to overturn the judgment of the Federal High Court.
Lawyer to the businessman, Mr. Idris noted that the appeal was mere tactic aimed at delaying justice, adding that a year later, he had to file a motion to dismiss the appeal due to the DSS’s failure to follow court procedures.
Accordingly, the Court of Appeal sitting in Jos, upheld the judgment of the Federal High Court in 2019, yet, the businessman did not receive his compensation.
Instead of initiating another lawsuit for the enforcement of the judgment, the businessman through his legal counsel, Mr. Idris opted for diplomacy, and moved to the office of the Attorney General which proved successful as the DSS finally invited them for a resolution of the matter.
Forefront News gathered that the businessman’s patience and perseverance finally paid off last week as the DSS DG, Mr Ajayi, did not only complied with the Court’s ruling, but went beyond the Court order and award by adding another N10 million as additional compensation to the victim.
“The DG generously added another N10 million and directed that my client should receive further treatment at the SSS medical facility,” Idris disclosed.
Another source at the DSS headquarters confirmed the intervention, saying the businessman ha been formally assessed by the agency’s medical team.
The source said; “He suffered a foot drop, and his toes do not respond to movement. He moves better with support, though he had no walking aid with him. He also appeared unkempt and destitute”.
It was further gathered that the DSS medical team will continue the treatment of the businessman with rehabilitation efforts aimed at improving his mobility even as the victim has requested to begin treatment after the Ramadan period.
The legal Counsel to the businessman said that while the businessman still bears physical and emotional scars, he is so grateful for the long-awaited justice and the benevolence of the DSS DG, Mr Ajayi.
The businessman said; “May Allah bless the SSS leader. It was my destiny to go through this suffering, but I thank Allah and everyone who stood by me, especially my lawyer”.
Speaking on the case, Mr Idris, who handled the case of the businessman pro bono, praised the DSS DG for the gesture, saying; “This is a landmark moment that strengthens my confidence in the judicial system. The SSS’s decision to comply voluntarily shows a commitment to justice and human dignity”.
As a show of appreciation, Mr. Idris wrote a personal letter commending the DSS Director-General and the Service for the new human relations introduced by the new leadership of the Service, stressing that this case would open a new vista for improved relations between security agencies in the country and the Nigerian public.
