Shake-up

The Nigeria Intelligence Agency Director General, Ahmed Abubakar, resigned during a meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. He confirmed…

The Nigeria Intelligence Agency Director General, Ahmed Abubakar, resigned during a meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. He confirmed the development to State House correspondents after the meeting. “After the briefing, I tendered my resignation, and Mr President graciously approved and accepted the resignation. I thanked him for allowing me to serve Nigeria under his transformational leadership for an extended period of 15 months, which is very rare,” he said. The Presidency has not issued an official statement on the development.

Mr Abubakar’s resignation may be linked to the series of security breaches that have plagued the country, with the final straw possibly being the curious display of multiple Russian flags in Northern cities during this month’s hardship protests. The NIA may have its faults regarding Nigeria’s security diplomacy, especially considering the 2023 proposed military action against the Republic of Niger, which failed. However, the NIA was not designed to address Nigeria’s domestic security needs. The National Intelligence Agency is Nigeria’s civilian foreign intelligence desk, with a mandate different from that of the State Security Service (DSS), which focuses on domestic security. One major issue contributing to this confusion could be Nigeria’s deteriorating security landscape, where the all-hands-on-deck approach has led to overlapping functions, with the military increasingly taking over police duties. Furthermore, Mr Abubakar’s resignation presents an opportunity to reassess how the security services operate, which must go beyond personality clashes and the whims of the National Security Adviser, whose office oversees non-military intelligence services. The new NIA head is expected to leverage advanced intelligence-gathering techniques, enhance inter-agency collaboration, and strengthen Nigeria’s international partnerships. With a history of extremist groups like Boko Haram and ISWAP (Islamic State West Africa Province) launching attacks in the Northeast, and increasingly sophisticated criminal networks such as Black Axe engaging in cybercrime and money laundering, the role of the NIA has never been more critical. One of the primary expectations for the new NIA head is to enhance intelligence operations targeting terrorism. This involves not only identifying and neutralising terrorist cells and operatives within Nigeria but also disrupting their supply chains, financial networks, and recruitment efforts. To achieve this, the agency must employ a multifaceted approach, combining traditional intelligence methods with cutting-edge technology such as cyber surveillance, data analytics and artificial intelligence. As Nigeria continues to grapple with complex security challenges, the role of the NIA in providing timely, accurate and actionable intelligence will be more critical than ever.