Why Tinubu sacked Bichi as DSS boss

President Bola Tinubu

• Appoints new DGs for NIA, DSS

• DSS spokesman tags new DG a thoroughbred

Facts have emerged on the reasons behind the removal from office of the Director-General (DG), Department of State Services (DSS), Mr Yusuf Bichi.

Sources hinted that President Bola Tinubu was removing anyone causing stumbling blocks in the efforts of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, towards stamping out terrorists.

“Ribadu feels Bichi has been sabotaging his coordinating efforts to carry out the marching order given by the President to rid the country of terrorists and kidnappers,” a source told The Guardian, yesterday.

Tinubu, yesterday, approved the appointment of Mohammed Mohammed as the new DG of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and Adeola Ajayi as Bichi’s replacement at DSS.

DSS spokesman, Dr Peter Afunanya, has described the new DSS boss as a “thoroughbred”.

He said: “Ajayi is a thoroughbred and versatile intelligence officer. Recruited into the service in 1990 as a cadet officer, the new DG has received several trainings in diverse areas of management, security leadership, critical thinking, human resources among others from within and outside the country. He is diligent, resilient, urbane, proactive and analytic. He comes to his new position with experience, capacity and immense goodwill.

“While wishing the outgoing DG, Bichi, success in his future endeavours. Management and staff of the service welcome the new DG and assure him of their cooperation, support and loyalty.”

Bichi’s sudden dismissal, announced in a terse statement from the Presidency, has left many wondering what could have triggered such a drastic decision.

Ajayi rose through the ranks to Assistant Director-General of DSS. He had, at various times, served as Director in Bauchi, Enugu, Bayelsa, Rivers and Kogi states.

On his part, Mohammed has had an illustrious career in the foreign service since joining the NIA in 1995. He had served in various roles, culminating in his promotion to the rank of Director and his subsequent appointment as the head of the Nigerian Mission to Libya.

The 1990 graduate of Bayero University, Kano (BUK), had served in North Korea, Pakistan, Sudan and at the State House, Abuja.

Tinubu charged the new security chiefs to work assiduously to reposition the two intelligence agencies for better results and tasked them to bring their experience to bear in tackling the security challenges bedevilling the country through enhanced collaboration with sister agencies and in alignment with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).

In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, yesterday, the President thanked the outgoing DGs of the two intelligence agencies for their services to the nation while wishing them success in their future endeavours.