In a significant development, President Bola Tinubu has announced the appointment of Ambassador Mohammed Mohammed as the new Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and Adeola Ajayi as the new Director-General of the Department of State Service (DSS). This move comes after the resignation of the previous heads of the two agencies.
According to a statement released by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, on Monday in Abuja, the appointments are aimed at repositioning the agencies for better results and tackling the country’s security challenges. The statement highlighted the distinguished careers of the new appointees, with Ambassador Mohammed boasting over two decades of experience in foreign service, serving in various roles and countries, including North Korea, Pakistan, Sudan, and Libya.
Similarly, Adeola Ajayi, the new DSS chief, has risen through the ranks, serving as State Director in several states, including Bauchi, Enugu, Bayelsa, Rivers, and Kogi. The statement emphasized the President’s expectation for the new security chiefs to work collaboratively to enhance the agencies’ performance and foster better relationships with sister agencies and the Office of the National Security Adviser.
The appointments follow the resignation of Ahmed Abubakar as NIA Director-General on Saturday night, citing family and personal reasons. Abubakar was first appointed DG of the NIA in 2018 by former President Muhammadu Buhari, who extended his stay in office in December 2021. Similarly, the outgoing DSS DG, Bichi, was also appointed in 2018 by Buhari.
President Tinubu has expressed gratitude to the outgoing Directors-General for their service to the nation and wished them success in their future endeavors. The new appointments are seen as a strategic move to strengthen the country’s security architecture and address the myriad of challenges facing the nation.
