President Bola Tinubu has appointed Ambassador Mohammed Mohammed as the new Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and Adeola Ajayi as the new Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS).
The appointments were announced on Monday in a statement released by Ajuri Ngelale, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, in Abuja.
The new appointments follow the resignation of the previous heads of the two key security agencies. Ambassador Mohammed, a seasoned foreign service officer with over two decades of experience, has served in various diplomatic roles across countries including North Korea, Pakistan, Sudan, and Libya. His extensive background in international affairs positions him as a crucial figure in steering the NIA’s operations.
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Adeola Ajayi, the newly appointed Director-General of the DSS, is a veteran in the agency, having risen through the ranks over the years. He has served as the State Director of DSS in several states, including Bauchi, Enugu, Bayelsa, Rivers, and Kogi. Ajayi’s deep-rooted experience in domestic intelligence and security operations is expected to be instrumental in enhancing the effectiveness of the DSS.
Ambassador Mohammed succeeds Ahmed Abubakar, who resigned from his position as NIA Director-General on Saturday, citing family and personal reasons. Abubakar was initially appointed by former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2018 and had his tenure extended in December 2021. Similarly, Yusuf Magaji Bichi, who also resigned from his role as DSS Director-General, was appointed by Buhari in 2018.
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In the official statement, President Tinubu urged the newly appointed security chiefs to work collaboratively in repositioning their respective agencies to better address the nation’s security challenges. He emphasized the importance of enhancing cooperation with sister agencies and the Office of the National Security Adviser to ensure more robust and coordinated security efforts.
The President also expressed his gratitude to the outgoing Directors-General for their dedicated service to the nation and wished them success in their future endeavors.