Tinubu sacks DSS DG, Yusuf Bichi, appoints Ajayi
By Ishaya Ibrahim
Two days after the Director General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ahmed Rufai Abubakar, tendered his resignation in hazy circumstances, President Bola Tinubu, on Monday, reportedly sacked the Director General of a sister security agency, the Department of State Services (DSS), Yusuf Magaji Bichi.
Tinubu also appointed Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi as replacement.
Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, announced this in a statement on Monday.
Like his NIA counterpart, the circumstance under which Bichi, a close ally of President Tinubu, left office still remains hazy.
READ ALSO: Nigerians skeptical as NIA DG Abubakar says he resigned due to ‘personal issues’
The NIA DG resigned by submitting his letter to President Tinubu during a meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Saturday.
Tinubu has since approved the appointment of Ambassador Mohammed Mohammed as the new Director-General of the NIA.
Bichi who was appointed by ex-President Muhammadu Buhari on September 14, 2018, to replace Matthew Seiyefa, who had served in an acting capacity, was also said to have resigned.
Bichi, who began his career in the Security Division of the Cabinet Office in Kano State in 1981 joined the defunct Nigerian Security Organization (NSO), the precursor of the present State Security Service, also known as Department of State Services, in 1984.
Rising to the rank of director, he served as state director of security in Jigawa, Niger, Sokoto and Abia states.
He also served as director in the National Assembly Liaison (2006), Directorate of Security Enforcement (2007–2008), Directorate of Operations (2008–2009), Directorate of Intelligence (2009–2010), State Service Academy, Lagos (2010–2013), SSS Research Development Centre, Bauchi (2013–2014), Directorate of Inspection (2014–2015), and Directorate of Administration and Finance (2015–2017).
The sudden exit of both men from office two days apart is raising many unanswered questions.
Both were appointed in 2018, although in different circumstances.
Both agencies – the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and State Security Service (SSS) were founded 38 years ago on June 5, 1986.
Fulfilling one of the promises he made in his first national address as military president, Ibrahim Babangida in June 1986 issued Decree Number 19, dissolving the National Security Organization (NSO) and restructuring Nigeria’s security services into three separate entities under the Office of the Co-Coordinator of National Security namely: State Security Service (SSS) – responsible for domestic intelligence; National Intelligence Agency (NIA) – responsible for foreign intelligence and counterintelligence operations and Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) – responsible for military intelligence.
Bichi is believed to be in Tinubu’s kitchen cabinet because of the central role he played in his emergence as president.