Nigeria, Dec. 23 -- The relationship between those who guard the state and those who tell its story has always been delicate. One watches for threats in the shadows; the other shines light into public spaces. When mistrust grows between them, democracy suffers. When understanding emerges, citizens breathe easier. Nigeria has lived through both seasons, and recent events around the Director-General of the State Security Service (SSS), Mr Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi, suggest that the country is entering a more stable chapter in that long and uneasy conversation.

On 19 December, Mr Ajayi put his thoughts into writing. In a letter personally signed and sent to the President of the International Press Institute (IPI) Nigeria, Mr Musikilu Mojeed, ...