President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Amb. Mohammed Mohammed as the new Director General for the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and Mr. Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi as the new head of the Department of State Services (DSS).
Both appointments are sequel to the recent resignation of erstwhile chiefs of both agencies.
Background of the new DGs
Both Directors-General are round pegs in round holes, having been seasoned security experts who rose through the ranks.
Ambassador Mohammed, a 1990 graduate of Bayero University, Kano, 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.
He had served in North Korea, Pakistan, Sudan, and at the State House, Abuja.
The new DSS Director-General, Mr. Adeola Ajayi, also rose through the ranks to attain his current post of Assistant Director-General of the Service. He had, at various times, served as State Director in Bauchi, Enugu, Bayelsa, Rivers, and Kogi.
Presidential Mandate
While appreciating the outgone DGs for the services to the nation, the President charged the new chiefs of the nation’s apex security institutions to build upon and endeavour to surpass the successes of their predecessors.
President Tinubu expects that the new security chiefs will work assiduously to reposition the two intelligence agencies for better results and charges them to bring their experience to bear in tackling the security challenges bedeviling the country.
A statement by the President’s adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale disclosed that President charged them to establish enhanced collaboration with sister agencies and in surgical alignment with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).
