Why new DSS DG should investigate officials celebrating ex-director Yusuf Bichi’s removal

Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.

A former director of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mike Ejiofor, has blamed mischief makers for posting a video that went viral after the appointment of Adeola Ajayi as the new Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS).

Ejiofor, who was a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Wednesday, said the new director general of the secret police should probe the viral content.

On Monday, President Bola Tinubu replaced Yusuf Bichi, with the appointment of Ajayi, who was until his new role, the Assistant Director-General of the Service.

The President also appointed Mohammed Mohammed to replace Ahmed Rufai as the new Director General for the National Intelligence Agency (NIA).

Tinubu had retained Bichi and Rufai in June 2023 when he fired all service chiefs and heads of security agencies. Former President Muhammadu Buhari appointed Bichi and Rufai to head the two intelligence agencies in 2018.

Shortly after the new appointments of Mohammed and Ajayi, social media was flooded with video clips of supposed DSS personnel jubilating at the headquarters of the secret police in Abuja.

In his comments on the viral video, Ejiofor said:

"Some of those videos are old videos, as far back as 2018, not new videos. Mischief makers, you know, if you look at the social media and how they go about it."But granted without conceding that it’s a new thing (video) when you have new appointments or elections are over, people are bound to jubilate; some people will say our man is coming in."

Ex-DSS DG accused of recruiting 'fake' Cotonou graduates

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that ex-DSS Director-General Yusuf Magaji Bichi is facing serious allegations of nepotism and misconduct, as detailed by UK-based Nigerian journalist Jaafar Jaafar.

Accusations include lowering recruitment standards, extending the tenure of favored directors, and allowing undue influence from family members within the service.

The revelations have prompted calls for a thorough investigation and a "factory reset" of the DSS.

Source: Legit.ng