The State Security Service (SSS) or Department of State Services (DSS) has its roots in pre-colonial Nigeria. It formally came into existence in 1948 with the establishment of the then “E” Department (Special Branch) domiciled in the Office of the Inspector General of the Nigeria Police Force.
Following the abortive coup of 1976 during which the then Head of State, General Murtala Mohammed was assassinated, General Olusegun Obasanjo promulgated the NSO Decree No.16 (1976) in one of his foremost national assignments as the Head of State. The Decree witnessed the establishment of the Nigerian Security Organization (NSO), which came in the wake of the security challenge posed by the 1976 abortive coup. The NSO was then charged with the responsibility of timely procurement of relevant and well analyzed intelligence necessary to meet the highlighted challenges and other matters bordering on National Security.
At the inception of General Ibrahim Babangida’s administration in 1985, he overhauled and re-organized the NSO through Decree No. 19 of 1986 also known as National Security Agencies (NSA) Decree, 1986. This exercise witnessed the emergence of three (3) separate establishments, the State Security Service (SSS), Defence Intelligence Service (DIS) and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA). Upon transition from military to civilian rule in 1999, the Service has continued to nurture, preserve and protect the country’s democratic governance.
The State Security Service (SSS) is enabled to perform its roles and functions chiefly by Instrument SSS No.1 of 1999 made pursuant to Section 6 of the National Security Agencies (NSA) Act 1986 Cap. 74, LFN 2004. It is worthy to note that over the years, other decrees (Decree No. 16 of 1976 and Decree 19 of 1986) charged the Agency with roles and functions that are very similar in content. These include but not limited to the following;
a. Prevention and Detection of any crime against the internal security of Nigeria;
b. Protection and Preservation of all non-military classified matters concerning the internal security of Nigeria;
c. Prevention, Detection and Investigation of threats of Espionage, Subversion, Sabotage, Terrorism, Separatist agitations, Inter-group conflicts, Economic crimes of National security dimension and threats to law and order;
d. Provision of protective security for designated principal Government functionaries, sensitive installations and visiting dignitaries;
e. Provision of timely advice to Government on all matters of National security interest and
f. Such other functions as may, from time to time, be assigned to it.
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