Exiting NIA DG explains why he resigned

After over six years in office, Ahmed Rufai Abubakar, the Director General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), has tendered his resignation to President Bola Tinubu.

Abubakar submitted his resignation following a routine briefing with the president at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Saturday.

He was appointed to the role by former President Muhammadu Buhari in January 2018.

Before becoming the substantive NIA DG, Abubakar, a retired Foreign Service officer, served as the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and International Relations.

READ ALSO: How Segun Obe found love in Ghana

He also briefly held the position of Senior Adviser at the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) in Ndjamena, Chad, prior to his appointment as SSAP.

On the resignation, Abubakar noted that President Tinubu had graciously accepted it, citing several reasons for his decision.

When asked about the purpose of his visit to the Presidential Villa, Abubakar explained,

“It’s a routine thing from time to time to brief Mr. President on situations, on issues, today is not an exception.

“After the briefing, actually, I tendered my resignation and Mr. President graciously approved and accepted the resignation.”

Pressed to say why he resigned, the former NIA DG stated, “There are quite a number of reasons one will do that, some personal family issues, but nothing very serious, actually, and the friendship will continue.

“I discussed with Mr. President, he understood very well, and I promised to remain seized with issues and the security situations of the country.”

He expressed gratitude to President Tinubu for the opportunity to serve under two administrations.