Patrick Ikenweiwe, Deputy Director at the Department of State Services (DSS), has proposed a policy that would require first-class graduates from Nigerian universities to serve in the country’s secret service.
Speaking at the 2025 Distinguished Personality Lecture organized by the Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies, University of Ilorin, Kwara State, on Wednesday, Ikenweiwe argued that individuals with lower academic performance should not be entrusted with national security.
Representing DSS Director-General Adeola Ajayi, he delivered a lecture titled, The Roles of the DSS in Security, Peacekeeping, and National Integration, where he emphasised the need to integrate top-performing students into security agencies.
“If I have my way, the best of the lot from every academic institution must be forced to serve in the Secret Service; that is how it is in the so-called developed nations,” Ikenweiwe said.
He cited Israel as an example, where students scoring above 70 per cent in a particular examination are automatically sent to university and placed in positions of national importance.
“Tell me, how would a dullard be able to ensure security in a country where criminal gangs are filled with first-class minds? You need intellect to track criminality,” he added.
Ikenweiwe also called on the academic community to collaborate with security agencies by identifying and recommending outstanding students who could strengthen Nigeria’s intelligence and security framework.
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