President Tinubu Appoints New Directors-General for NIA and DSS

President Tinubu Appoints New Directors-General for NIA and DSS

Rald News Media reports that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the appointment of new Directors-General for the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and the Department of State Services (DSS). This development was confirmed on Monday through a statement by Ajuri Ngelale, the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity.

The President appointed Ambassador Mohammed Mohammed as the new Director-General of the NIA. Additionally, Mr. Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi has been appointed as the new Director-General of the DSS, replacing Yusuf Magaji Bichi.

According to the statement, Ambassador Mohammed has had a distinguished career in the foreign service, having joined the NIA in 1995. Over the years, he served in various capacities, including his recent role as the head of the Nigerian mission to Libya. A 1990 graduate of Bayero University, Kano, Mohammed has also served in countries such as North Korea, Pakistan, and Sudan, as well as within the State House in Abuja.

The new DSS Director-General, Mr. Adeola Ajayi, has risen through the ranks within the agency, most recently serving as an Assistant Director-General. His experience includes serving as State Director in Bauchi, Enugu, Bayelsa, Rivers, and Kogi states.

These appointments come after the resignation of the previous NIA and DSS chiefs. President Tinubu has expressed confidence that the new leaders will work diligently to improve the performance of their respective agencies. He emphasized the importance of their collaboration with other security agencies and alignment with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) to address the country’s security challenges.

The President also extended his gratitude to the outgoing Directors-General for their service and wished them success in their future endeavors.

It is worth noting that the former NIA Director-General, Ahmed Abubakar, resigned on Saturday, citing personal and family reasons. He expressed his appreciation to President Tinubu for the opportunity to serve for 15 months under the current administration, having held the position since 2018. Despite his resignation, Abubakar assured that he would continue to remain engaged with issues related to the nation’s security.