How presidential jets seizures, poor intelligence sacked DSS, NIA bosses

BUSINESS DAY

Fresh facts emerged on Tuesday on the actual reasons President Bola Tinubu on Monday, replaced Ahmed Rufai, former National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and Yusuf Bichi, Director General of the Department of State Security Service (DSS).

The President approved their replacement on Monday, appointing Mohamed Mohammed as the new Director-General of NIA and Adeola Ajayi as DG of DSS.

BusinessDay gathered from Villa sources on Tuesday, that Rufai’s and Bichi’s replacements were linked to the embarrassing seizures of Nigeria’s assets by Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited, a Chinese firm.

This is just as the DSS DG was also accused of “acts of insubordination exhibited towards the office of the National Security Adviser NSA”.

Sources close to the security sector revealed that the President was also “not impressed” with the level of security reports that gets to his office.

“ The seizure of Nigeria’s assets was an embarrassment to the President and the DG of NIA took the easy way out when he realized that he will be sacked,” BusinessDay gathered.

While announcing their replacements, President Tinubu had said he expects that the new security chiefs will work assiduously to reposition the two intelligence agencies for better results. He charged them to bring their experience to bear in tackling the security challenges bedeviling the country through enhanced collaboration with sister agencies and in surgical alignment with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).

BusinessDay gathered that Rufai resigned after he was queried for the security lapses that resulted in Nigeria not getting information about the cases in foreign courts that led to the seizure of Nigeria’s assets.

It was gathered that the President expressed his dissatisfaction with the handling of the security architecture that resulted in such vital information slipping through the hands of the intelligence agencies.

Officers applauds Ajayi’s appointment

But following the removal of the two senior security officials, a video surfaced on the social media depicting celebrations allegedly, at the the headquarters of the Department of State Services (DSS) following the appointment of Adeola Ajayi as the new Director General (DG) and the resignation of the former DG, Yusuf Magaji Bichi.

Some people however dismissed the video as “old footage”, while others insist the celebrations were indeed held at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja.

A source close to the DSS revealed to BusinessDay in Abuja that the appointment of Ajayi, a core operation staff of the agency, was putting “ a round peg in a round hole,” reflecting the sentiment that he is the right person for the job.

“He has been tested and trusted; the man gives results,” the source said, highlighting Ajayi’s extensive experience and track record within the DSS.

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