A retired Assistant Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), Dennis Amachree, has said the appointment of former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, exposed weaknesses in Nigeria’s security vetting process.
In his memoir, DSS @40: My Journey Behind the Shield, Amachree said Pantami’s appointment under former President Muhammadu Buhari raised national security concerns after past sermons and public comments allegedly expressing sympathy for extremist groups resurfaced in 2021.
According to him, the DSS conducts extensive background checks on nominees for sensitive public offices, examining their affiliations, public statements, academic records, political leanings and online activities before submitting intelligence reports to the President and, where necessary, the National Assembly.
However, he stressed that the agency’s role is advisory, noting that political considerations can override security recommendations.
Although he said he could not confirm the contents of Pantami’s security report, Amachree argued it was unlikely that intelligence officers overlooked the former minister’s past public statements.
He suggested that the DSS may have flagged the concerns, but that political factors such as regional balancing and party interests could have outweighed security advice.
The retired intelligence officer also questioned the Senate’s confirmation process, recalling that lawmakers had said they received no adverse security report on Pantami before approving his nomination.
Amachree said the episode reflected either a breakdown in the transmission of intelligence or a decision by political authorities to ignore security assessments, describing both possibilities as signs of systemic weaknesses.
He added that the controversy undermined public confidence in Nigeria’s counterterrorism efforts, particularly because Pantami oversaw the country’s critical telecommunications and digital infrastructure.
Amachree urged future administrations to strengthen respect for intelligence assessments and insulate security decisions from political interference to enhance public trust in Nigeria’s security institutions.