Functions of State Security Service are listed in this article. It is necessary that you know the functions of each of the security agencies.
Functions of state security service in Nigeria
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Nigeria has so many security agencies witha very different mandates for each of them. Each of these agencies works in different ways to ensure the peace and safety of the country. In this article, we will be looking at the State Security Service (SSS).
This agency is often referred to as the Department of State Services (DSS) and it is the primary domestic intelligence agency of the country.
When it comes to gathering intelligence within the country, the SSS is always a go-to for optimum results as they have sophisticated tools to aid them in the job.
One of the agency’s primary responsibilities is to protect the country’s elites. By elites, we mean the top politicians at the state and federal levels.
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The State Security Service is one of the three organizations that was created out of the dissolved National Security Organization in 1986.
The organization is a department under the presidency and it is overseen mainly by the National security adviser in person of Babagana Monguno.
Unlike some other security agencies, the State Security Service cannot operate outside the boundaries of Nigeria. It has its corporate headquarters located at Aso drive in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
Employment into the department as well as how much the agents are paid is often on a classified note, it is often not made public.
The Director-General of the State Security Service is General Yusuf Bichi Magaji and the key documents that guide the regulation of the agency are the National Security Agencies Act of 1986 (Decree 19) as well as the Presidential Proclamation; SSS Instrument 1 of 1999.
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Functions of State Security Service
Some of the Functions of the State Security Service include but are not limited to:
- Protecting and defending the Federal Republic of Nigeria against threats within the country irrespective of the scope.
- Upholding and Enforcing enforcing Nigeria’s Criminal laws to the constitution.
- Providing Leadership and Criminal Justice Services to both Federal and State law enforcement organs.
- Protection of the following persons in the country; The President, Vice President, Senate President, Speaker of both state and federal house of representatives, State Governors, Immediate family members of those elected into a high political position, Past presidents and Vice presidents of the country and their spouse, Visiting foreign heads of state and government, Presidential candidates and their vices and other persons that they may be called unto to protect.
- Counter-terrorism and Counter-insurgency.
- Depending upon the country’s need for security, the SSS may be called upon anytime to perform a security role for the optimum safety of the country.
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The SSS as earlier mentioned have highly sophisticated weapons in their arsenal and some of them include; the IMI Tavor Tar-21 assault rifle, FN P90 Personal protection Weapon, FN F2000 assault rifle, some other sidearms, and pistols, Improvised Explosive Device detector vans, Mobile IED Jammers for protection of Very important persons in open places, Telephone call interceptors, IMSI number catchers, signal direction finder, armored limousines, etc.
The State Security Service is a vital department in the security agency of every country especially Nigeria where security challenges are on the increase. You can get more information about the agency on their official website; www.dss.gov.ng.
