Why President Tinubu Sacked Bichi as DSS Director-General

Yusuf Bichi was sacked as the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) because President Bola Tinubu and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, perceived him as an obstacle to their efforts to eliminate terrorism and kidnapping in the country. 

Sources indicated that Ribadu believed Bichi was sabotaging his efforts to implement the president’s directives to rid the country of these security threats. This led to Bichi’s removal and the appointment of Adeola Ajayi as his replacement.

In response to these developments, Tinubu approved Mohammed Mohammed as the new Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and appointed Adeola Ajayi to replace Bichi at the DSS. 

DSS spokesperson, Dr. Peter Afunanya, praised the new DSS director, describing him as a “thoroughbred and versatile intelligence officer.” Recruited in 1990, Ajayi has a robust background in various management and security leadership training programs both domestically and internationally. 

The presidency announced the sudden removal of Bichi as the Director-General, sparking widespread speculation about the reasons for his dismissal. Adeola Ajayi, the new Assistant Director-General, has extensive experience across various Nigerian states. 

Mohammed, now leading the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), has a notable foreign service background since 1995, including a recent role as head of the Nigerian Mission to Libya.

President Tinubu has charged the new security chiefs with improving the intelligence agencies to tackle national security issues better, urging cooperation with other agencies and alignment with the National Security Adviser’s office.