The Department of State Services (DSS) has begun a free medical treatment to a businessman who was accidentally shot during an operation in Jos Plateau state.
This health service at its reference medical centre in Abuja is in fulfillment of a promise made by the DSS following the incident
The Director- General of the DSS, Tosin Ajayi, had earlier in March 2025 approved the payment of ₦10 million damages awarded by a court to the businessman and to compensate for time lost, the DG handed the businessman an additional ₦10 million, bringing the total sum to ₦20 million.
At the time, Ajayi directed the DSS medical centre to officially integrate the businessman into the Services’ medical care system, which would enable him to enjoy free medical services anytime he so desired.
A security source told ait.live that, the businessman arrived in the hospital “a few days ago, and has been undergoing free medical tests and treatment from the hospital’s best doctors.”
The source added that, “True to the DG’s directive, the man has been in the VIP ward which, of course, is fully air-conditioned. They have been running series of checks and giving him round-the-clock medical attention, in order to make him regain full control of his limbs. I even understand the DG asked that he be fed for free.”
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In 2016, during a pre-dawn operation to arrest a suspected gunrunner in Jos, Plateau State, DSS operatives mistakenly shot and injured the businessman who incidentally bears the same name with the suspected gunrunner. The gunrunner was eventually arrested.
Two years after the shooting, in 2018, the businessman, through his lawyer, Idris Akibu, approached a Federal High Court in Bauchi. Delivering judgement on the matter with suit number FHC/J/CS/18/2018, the court, presided by Justice Muhammed Shittu Abubakar, ordered the DSS to pay ₦10 million in damages to the injured businessman.
The source also said that, “this is the third DG DSS since the unfortunate case of mistaken identity happened.
We were very happy when our new DG directed that we pay the money. He even added another ₦10 million to the victim’s money. It goes to show that, not only can security agencies be law abiding, we can also be full of the milk of human kindness,” the source declared.
(Editor: Paul Akhagbemhe)
