In its efforts to counter terrorism through community engagement and social development, the Department of State Services says it is investing in schools, places of worship, and sporting facilities across the country.
Speaking through a retired DSS director, Alhaji Ahmed Zalmar, during the inauguration of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Darul’Ilm Centre for Islamic Studies in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, the DSS Director-General, Oluwatosin Ajayi, said such non-conventional interventions were designed to reduce discontent and win the trust of vulnerable populations.
He said the agency chose to channel these supports for the well-being of vulnerable and needy groups through several social projects, including building of schools, places of worship, and sport centres.
Ajayi hinted that the gestures aimed to win the support of vulnerable population towards defeating insurgency and terrorism is part of the agency's social corporate responsibility.
He explained that the DSS mandate goes beyond intelligence gathering and law enforcement, as it is also saddled with the responsibility of reducing the root causes of insecurity.
The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, who led dignitaries at the inauguration, described the school as a “legacy project” and a powerful symbol of religious tolerance and unity.
He said "when people of different faiths and backgrounds come together for the common good, we build the kind of Nigeria we all dream of."
The Sultan who praised President Tinubu for appointing Ajayi to lead the DSS, calling it a move that helped build bridges of cooperation and understanding.
He urged Nigerians to downplay religious and ethnic differences and focus on shared values and national development.
Also speaking at the event, Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, applauded the DSS initiative, saying it aligned with the Tinubu administration’s emphasis on inclusive growth and youth empowerment.
Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, represented by his deputy, Dr. Hadiza Balarabe, reaffirmed his administration’s support for education and efforts to address poverty and insecurity.
Other dignitaries included the Emir of Zazzau, Ambassador Ahmed Bamalli; Speaker of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, Dahiru Liman; Commandant-General of the NSCDC, Ahmed Audi; and several past and present DSS directors.
The new centre, which will serve orphans and indigent children, is named after President Bola Tinubu in recognition of his commitment to education and development.