Condemnation of DSS Involvement in Screening SAN Nominees – Otunba Babatunde Senbanjo

By Otunba Babatunde Olushola Senbanjo (BOS)

We stand firmly in support of renowned activist, human rights advocate, and former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, in his principled condemnation of the alleged plan by the Department of State Services (DSS) to screen lawyers shortlisted for elevation to the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).

This development, is not only alarming but represents yet another disturbing attempt by a security agency to encroach upon the sanctity of the Nigerian legal profession and judicial independence. The DSS, as a state security service, has no constitutional or professional jurisdiction to vet or screen lawyers for professional elevation within the legal fraternity. It is not a part of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee (LPPC), or any statutory legal body empowered to regulate the conduct or advancement of legal practitioners in Nigeria.

The SAN rank is a professional recognition bestowed upon lawyers who have demonstrated exceptional advocacy, integrity, and contributions to the legal profession. Its conferment must remain insulated from political interference, executive influence, or security agency manipulation. The idea that the DSS, an organisation already facing serious criticism for its unchecked powers, could be involved in the screening process reeks of authoritarian overreach. It suggests a growing pattern of state capture and the erosion of the democratic separation of powers fundamental to a free society.

Omoyele Sowore is absolutely right to raise the alarm. We must ask: On what legal basis does the DSS assume the right to screen lawyers? Has the DSS now become an arm of the NBA or the LPPC? Are we now witnessing the securitisation of professional processes in Nigeria, where legal recognition and promotion are no longer based solely on merit, but subject to secretive vetting by politically controlled security operatives?

This trend is dangerous. It undermines public confidence in the legal system and signals an insidious attempt to intimidate and control the legal profession particularly its most vocal and independent-minded practitioners. We must remember that lawyers and judges play a crucial role in upholding democratic values, human rights, and justice. Any move to compromise their independence through coercion or executive control is a direct attack on democracy itself.

We commend Omoyele Sowore for once again standing at the frontlines of democratic defence, speaking truth to power with courage and clarity. His consistent advocacy for a free, just, and transparent Nigeria is a reminder that the fight for liberty must be unrelenting.

We call on the NBA, LPPC, civil society organisations, and all well-meaning Nigerians to reject any form of DSS interference in the SAN elevation process. The legal profession must not allow itself to be infiltrated or co-opted by agencies whose track records reflect suppression rather than justice.

Nigeria must remain a country governed by the rule of law and not the rule of fear.