President Bola Tinubu has appointed new heads for Nigeria's National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and the Department of State Services (DSS), following the resignation of previous heads.
In a statement released on Monday by Ajuri Ngelale, the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ambassador Mohammed Mohammed has been named the new NIA Director-General. At the same time, Mr. Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi has been appointed the new Director-General of the DSS.
The appointments comes after the resignation of Ahmed Rufai as NIA chief and Yusuf Bichi as head of the DSS. Rufai stepped down on Saturday citing personal reasons, while Bichi’s resignation follows his tenure since his appointment by former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2018.
Ambassador Mohammed brings over two decades of experience to his new role. A distinguished foreign service officer, Mohammed has served in various countries including North Korea, Pakistan, Sudan, and Libya. His career with the NIA began in 1995, and he has held several key positions, including Director and head of the Nigerian mission to Libya. He graduated from Bayero University, Kano, in 1990.
Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi, the new Director-General of the DSS, has a long-standing career within the agency. Rising through the ranks to become Assistant Director-General, Ajayi has held significant positions as State Director in Bauchi, Enugu, Bayelsa, Rivers, and Kogi.
President Tinubu has tasked the new security chiefs with the responsibility of improving the effectiveness of their agencies. The President also emphasized the need for enhanced collaboration with sister agencies and alignment with the Office of the National Security Adviser to address the country’s security challenges.
“The President thanks the outgoing Directors-General for their service and wishes them success in their future endeavors,” Ngelale’s statement concluded.