Buhari appoints new DG for NIA

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of Ahmed Rufai Abubakar as the substantive Director General for the National Intelligence Agency.

The new DG is a retired career Foreign Service officer, who till his appointment served as Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs/International Relations.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina in a statement on Wednesday said that Abubakar’s appointment took immediate effect.

“Abubakar had extensive experience working with the United Nations in peace support operations, mediation process, preventive diplomacy and good offices, as well as the promotion of good governance and respect for the rule of law and human rights.

“He also briefly served as Senior Adviser at the Multinational Joint Task Force with headquarters in Ndjamena, Chad, before his appointment as SSAP.

“Abubakar holds a B.A degree in French Language and Literature, and an M.A degree in Francophone Maghrebian Literature, both from Bayero University, Kano. He is also fluent in English and Arabic.

“The appointment takes immediate effect,” the statement read.

The President had on April 19 suspended the former DG, Amb. Ayo Oke following the recommendation of the constituted three-man committee led by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo that investigated him over the large discovery of $48 million in an apartment at at Osborne Towers Ikoyi, Lagos for which NIA claimed onwership.

The committee had the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN); and the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, as members.

Mathew Dadiya, Abuja