Former DSS Director-General Dies In Lagos, Nation Mourns

Former Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Chief Albert Korubo Horsfall, has died at the age of 84.

Horsfall reportedly passed away on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, at a hospital in Lagos following a prolonged illness.

According to Bush Radio Academy, Horsfall was a prominent figure in Nigeria’s intelligence and security community, having served in some of the country’s most important national security positions.

He served as Director-General of the State Security Service (SSS), now known as the DSS, from 1990 to 1992. Before that, he made history as the pioneer Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), a position he held from 1986 to 1990. Available records also identify him as the first head of the NIA and a key figure in the development of Nigeria’s modern intelligence architecture.

Horsfall began his career as a police officer and later became one of the foundation members of the former National Security Organisation (NSO). His decades-long career in public service saw him take on major responsibilities in national security, intelligence and regional development.

Following his service in the intelligence sector, he was appointed pioneer chairman of the Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission (OMPADEC), where he was involved in initiatives aimed at promoting development in oil-producing communities in the Niger Delta.

His death was announced on Friday by the Director-General of the DSS, Adeola Ajayi, who described the late intelligence chief as an exceptional public servant and patriot who dedicated his life to Nigeria’s security and development.

Ajayi expressed condolences to Horsfall’s family, the government and people of Rivers State, the Ijaw nation and Nigerians, while honouring his contributions to the country’s intelligence community.

Horsfall’s death marks the loss of one of the pioneers who played significant roles in shaping Nigeria’s intelligence institutions following the restructuring of the country’s security architecture in the 1980s. His legacy includes his leadership of both the NIA and SSS, as well as his later contribution to development efforts in the Niger Delta.