Fresh Details Of How #EndBadGovernmentProtest, Others Led To The Sack Of DSS, NIA DGs

The reasons behind the recent resignations of Yusuf Bichi, the former Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), and Ahmed Abubakar, the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), have been revealed.

According to sources within the Presidency, both officials faced scrutiny from President Bola Tinubu and National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu regarding the intelligence failures of their respective agencies. These concerns arose in the wake of the violent #EndBadGovernance protests in northern states and the seizure of three Nigerian presidential aircraft in France.

Bichi was reportedly criticized for the DSS’s failure to gather actionable intelligence on the protests, which turned violent in Kano, Gombe, Yobe, Borno, and Bauchi states. Meanwhile, Abubakar was questioned over the NIA’s lack of foresight regarding the seizure of the jets by a Chinese company, Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited, following a legal dispute involving the Ogun State Government.

The protests, which began on August 1, were sparked by widespread discontent over the removal of the fuel subsidy, rising electricity tariffs, and the high cost of living. While demonstrations in the South-West remained peaceful, those in the northern states led to significant destruction of public and private properties, looting, and the imposition of curfews in Kano, Bauchi, and Plateau states.

The seizure of the presidential aircraft, including a newly acquired Airbus, by a French court further compounded the embarrassment for the Tinubu administration, both domestically and internationally. The sources noted that these events led to the decision to seek the resignations of the DSS and NIA chiefs.

One source indicated that the relationship between Bichi and Ribadu had already been strained prior to these incidents, with tensions reaching a breaking point due to the fallout from the northern protests.

Abubakar announced his resignation on Saturday, August 24, after meeting with President Tinubu. Bichi’s resignation was later confirmed in a statement by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, on Monday, August 26.