Nigerian investigative journalist Jaafar Jaafar has leveled serious accusations against Yusuf Magaji Bichi, the former Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS).
Daily Post reported that Jaafar accused Bichi’s wife of exerting control over key decisions and misused public funds for personal luxuries. He further criticized Bichi’s son, alleging that he flaunted wealth on social media while enjoying DSS protection.
He claimed that Bichi transformed the agency into a place where career aspirations go to die, describing it as “a graveyard of career aspirations.”
He accused Bichi of lowering recruitment standards by bringing in a significant number of graduates from Cotonou, sidelining qualified candidates, and allowing his wife to have undue influence over recruitment, promotions, and disciplinary actions within the DSS.
In his words, “He allowed his wife to lord over the service, influencing recruitment, promotion, and discipline. As a peasant socialite and novo riche, she always oppressed people with a superfluity of everything at the expense of public funds.”
“She moved around in a long motorcade with dozens of Tavor-wielding personnel, harassing motorists.”
“She was a stormy petrel who was majorly in the news for either assaulting her tailor for failing to meet a deadline or picking a fight with opposition politicians.”
In a call for reform, Jaafar urged the newly appointed DG, Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi, to be more professional and transparent.
He encouraged the new leadership to reevaluate the cases of detainees and maintain a clear boundary between the agency’s affairs and family influence.
He expressed his frustration on social media, stating, “The former DG of SSS, Yusuf Magaji Bichi, has turned an otherwise elite, professionally run service into a graveyard of career aspirations, an orchard of nepotism, and an armed corps of 40 Blantyre Crescent.”
He also said, “The service does not only need a factory reset but flushing!”
The appointment of Ajayi as the new DSS Director-General was announced through a statement by President Bola Tinubu’s media aide, Ajuri Ngelale. Jaafar remains hopeful that this change will bring about necessary reforms for the agency….Vïêw–Môrê