How Presidential Jets Seizures, Poor Intelligence Sacked DSS, NIA Bosses

New information has come to light regarding President Bola Tinubu’s decision to replace Ahmed Rufai, former Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), and Yusuf Bichi, Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), on Monday.

According to sources close to the presidency, the shake-up was linked to the embarrassing seizure of Nigerian assets by Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited, a Chinese firm.

The incident reportedly drew significant ire from President Tinubu, who viewed the security lapse that allowed the situation to unfold as a major failure on the part of the intelligence agencies.

The former DSS DG, Yusuf Bichi, was also accused of acts of insubordination towards the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), further fueling the need for a leadership change.

Sources that spoke with BusinessDay reveal that the President was “not impressed” with the level of intelligence and security reports reaching his office.

Consequently, this dissatisfaction led to the appointment of Mohamed Mohammed as the new Director-General of the NIA and Adeola Ajayi as the DG of DSS.

Reports also indicate that Rufai resigned after being queried over the security lapses that contributed to Nigeria’s failure to receive timely information about legal proceedings in foreign courts, which ultimately led to the asset seizures.

While announcing the new appointments, President Tinubu expressed his expectations that the newly appointed security chiefs would work diligently to reposition the intelligence agencies and improve collaboration with other security outfits, under the coordination of the National Security Adviser.

The replacements are seen as part of President Tinubu’s broader efforts to overhaul Nigeria’s security architecture and address the various challenges facing the country.