Former Department of State Services (DSS) Director Dennis Amachree has blamed the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari for Nigeria’s worsening insecurity.
Amachree made the claims in his book, DSS@40: My Journey Behind the Shield. He argued that weak leadership, corruption and poor decisions allowed insurgency, banditry and kidnapping to spread.
Amachree faults Buhari’s security approach
According to Amachree, the Buhari administration failed to stop growing security threats. He said the government did not respond strongly despite Buhari’s military background.
“The period of the Muhammadu Buhari administration is viewed as a critical time when security threats metastasized, and government indifference became palpable,” Amachree wrote.
He added:
“Despite being a former military general, the administration was perceived as doing ‘little or nothing’ about the escalating threats of insurgency, banditry and kidnapping.”
He said the government’s response weakened public confidence. As a result, many Nigerians believed leaders lacked effective solutions.
Ex-DSS director criticises government actions
Amachree also criticised some of Buhari’s public remarks. He referred to comments describing Nigerian youths as “lazy” during foreign trips. According to him, the remarks came when unemployment remained high. Consequently, many young Nigerians felt ignored.
Book alleges ransom payments
The former DSS director also alleged that government officials secretly paid huge ransoms to kidnappers. He argued that such payments encouraged criminal groups instead of stopping them.
“The subsequent official denials, debunked by bandits such as Bello Turji, destroyed public faith and proved that the state was directly financing the threats it claimed it was fighting,” he said.
Politicians blamed for insecurity
Amachree said the political class remains Nigeria’s biggest obstacle to peace. He argued that many politicians focused on personal interests instead of national security.
“The true impediment to peace and stability is the political class, which refuses to allow citizens to pursue their daily lives in a stable environment,” Amachree said.
He added:
“While economic warnings intensified and the security situation deteriorated, politicians displayed a state of ‘reckless abandon’, prioritizing personal interests over national stability.”
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