Killing of Emir of Gobir, failure to detect Labour House spy… Real reasons Tinubu sacked DGs of SSS, NIA emerge
Facts have emerged as to why President Bola Tinubu sacked the directors general of the National Intelligence Agency, NIA, Ahmed Rufai-Abubakar and State Security Services, SSS, Yusuf Bichi.
On August 24, the DG NIA, who was appointed on January 10, 2018, tendered his ‘resignation’ to the president, while Mr Bichi, who was appointed on September 14, 2018, followed suit two days later.
DAILY NIGERIAN reports that Mr Bichi’s term in office as DG of SSS was characterised by massive recruitment of unqualified personnel, nepotism, career stagnation and crass partisanship.
Sources within the security community told DAILY NIGERIAN that the DG of SSS was removed by the president due largely to the killing of Emir of Gobir Isa Bawa, alleged lack of cooperation with the National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu and failure to detect a spy operating in Labour House.
Insiders said the refusal to comply with the directive of the Office of the NSA regarding a prisoner-swap deal to secure the release of the emir was the straw that that broke the camel’s back.
Credible sources said the bandits who abducted the emir of Gobir had demanded the release of their parents who were arrested by the SSS at the airport while returning from Saudi Arabia after hajj pilgrimage.
To secure the release of the monarch, DAILY NIGERIAN gathered that the Office of NSA ordered the SSS to handover the detained parents of some bandit leaders to perfect the swap deal.
Sources familiar with the deal told this newspaper that the bandits’ key demand was the release of their parents, and were willing to release the emir without ransom as soon as government released their parents.
“The NSA, who was opposed to payment of ransom by government, reasoned that since the parents of the bandits were not the criminals, they should be swapped with the emir.
“And in fairness to the NSA, it was not the parents that committed the offence but their children — and you know the position of law on that,” said the source.
The source further revealed that the SSS became unyielding to the NSA’s request, leading to the killing of the emir.
According to the insiders, the nationwide outrage over the killing of the monarch had angered the president.
“The president was highly embarrassed and worried by the killing of the monarch, and he immediately ordered the NSA to shop for replacements of the DSS and NIA chiefs,” said the source.
Another security source also told DAILY NIGERIAN that the president was also unhappy with the internal and external security breach that occurred during the recent nationwide #Endbadgovernace protest.
The source cited a case of a spy, Andrew Wynne, who is renting one of the floors at the headquarters of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, in Abuja, saying both the SSS and NIA failed to detect the espionage activities of the spy.
According to the source, it was the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, that first raised the alarm over some questionable transactions by the spy.
The Nigeria Police Force on Monday declared Mr Wynne, also known as Andrew Povich, and a Nigerian, Lucky Obiyan, wanted for allegedly plotting to overthrow the Tinubu administration.
The police accused Mr Wynne, a British national, of building a network of sleeper cells to topple the government and plunge the nation into chaos.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, the Force spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi, said Wynne rented a space at Labour House and established a school to serve as a decoy.
He said, “The Nigeria Police Force has launched a comprehensive investigation into the activities of foreign national and subversive elements plotting to undermine the democratically elected government in Nigeria through unconstitutional regime change and orchestrating violence across the country.
“Following extensive intelligence gathering and collaboration with other security agencies, nine suspects have been apprehended, who received substantial financial backing from foreign sources to destabilise the country.
“Preliminary findings suggest they orchestrated and funded violent protests, disseminated false information, and engaged in other unlawful activities to create anarchy and justify their illegal plot to overthrow the democratically elected government.
“Investigations have identified a foreign mercenary, Andrew Wynne (also known as Andrew Povich or Drew Povey), a British national, who built a network of sleeper cells to topple the government and plunge the nation into chaos. He rented space at Labour House, Abuja, for an ‘Iva Valley Bookshop’ and established ‘STARS of Nations Schools’ as a cover for his subversive activities.”
The security sources said these reasons prompted the removal of the heads of the nation’s premier internal and external security agencies.
When contacted to respond to our report, the spokesman for the Office of NSA, Zakari Mijinyawa, didn’t reply to messages sent to him via SMS and Whatsapp.
● Report by Daily Nigerian
