Tinubu appoints Ajayi as DSS DG, names Mohammed head of NIA

President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Adeola Ajayi as director-general of the Department of State Services (DSS).

Ajayi replaces Yusuf Bichi who was appointed by former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2018.

The president also appointed Mohammed Mohammed as director-general of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA).

In a statement on Monday by Ajuri Ngelale, presidential spokesperson, Tinubu made the decision following the resignation of Bichi as head of the secret police and Ahmed Abubakar as DG NIA.

“Ambassador 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 statement reads.

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

“The new DSS Director-General, Mr. Adeola Ajayi, 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.”

The president urged the new security chiefs to work “assiduously” to reposition the two intelligence agencies for better results.

He urged them to bring their experiences to bear in tackling the country’s security challenges through enhanced collaboration with sister agencies and in “surgical alignment” with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).