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DSS Pays ₦20m Compensation, Offers Free Healthcare to Businessman Mistakenly Shot in 2016
The Department of State Services (DSS) has fulfilled its promise to provide free medical care to a Sokoto-based businessman accidentally shot by its operatives during a 2016 operation.
The victim was recently admitted to the DSS hospital in Abuja, where he is receiving comprehensive treatment.
A statement by the DSS indicates that earlier in March, Director-General Mr. Tosin Ajayi approved the payment of ₦10 million in court-awarded damages, and, in a gesture of goodwill, added another ₦10 million — bringing the total compensation to ₦20 million.
Mr. Ajayi also directed that the businessman be integrated into the DSS medical system for lifelong, cost-free healthcare.
The statement further confirmed the victim’s arrival at the DSS hospital, stating, “He has been placed in a VIP ward with full amenities and is undergoing detailed medical checks. The DG also ordered that all meals be provided at no cost.”
The businessman was mistakenly shot during a pre-dawn raid in Jos, Plateau State, while DSS operatives were targeting a suspected gunrunner who bore the same name.
The court ruling in 2018 ordered ₦10 million in damages, the statement noted, “this is the third DG since the incident, and his decision to pay — and add to — the compensation reflects a human approach to justice.”
