…Why we celebrated Bichi’s exit – DSS officers
The reasons the immediate past Director-General of the Department of State Services, Yusuf Bichi, and the DG of the National Intelligence Agency, Ahmed Abubakar, resigned from their positions have been revealed.
Sources within the Presidency told Saturday PUNCH that President Bola Tinubu and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, questioned the intelligence gathering mechanisms of the two agencies following the violent nature of the #EndBadGovernance protests in some northern states and the seizure of three presidential aircraft in France.
While Bichi was held responsible for lack of functional intelligence on the protest, Abubakar was reportedly queried for the NIA’s inability to have reports ahead of the seizure of the jets by a Chinese company, Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited.
A French court had sanctioned the seizure of three Nigerian presidential jets, including a newly purchased Airbus, amid a legal dispute between Zhongshan and the Ogun State Government.
The #EndBadGovernance protest, which began on August 1, turned violent in Kano, Gombe, Yobe, Borno and Bauchi states while demonstrations in the South-West were peaceful.
During the protests in some northern states, public and private facilities were destroyed, while hoodlums looted shops and caused mayhem. This led to the imposition of curfews in Kano, Bauchi, and Plateau states.
The protest was driven by widespread hardship resulting from the removal of fuel subsidy, electricity tariff hike and the high cost of living, among other issues.
Bichi, who hails from Kano State, where widespread destruction and looting occurred, was appointed on September 14, 2018, by former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Abubakar, from Katsina State, was also appointed by Buhari on January 10, 2018.
According to credible sources, Tinubu and Ribadu were embarrassed by the turn of events on the seizure of the presidential jets and the #EndBadGovernance demonstrations.
“The seizure of the presidential jets and violent nature of the #EndBadGovernance protest embarrassed the President nationally and internationally.
“The President was displeased with the NIA and DSS bosses. This was why he requested the resignation of the two security chiefs,” said one of the sources.
Another source told Saturday PUNCH that Bichi and Ribadu had been having a running battle before the protest, with the fallout from the northern demonstrations serving as the final straw.
He stated, “The former DSS DG and the NSA boss had been on bad terms for some time. Their issues escalated to the point that Bichi was unable to meet the President for a while. The Presidency finally had a valid reason to dismiss him due to the #EndBadGovernance protest.”
Abubakar announced his resignation on Saturday, August 24, after meeting with President Tinubu.
In contrast, Bichi’s resignation was announced in a statement by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, on Monday, August 26.
Why we celebrated Bichi’s exit – DSS officers
Bichi’s resignation elicited reactions from DSS staff and the public.
Some DSS officers, who spoke to Saturday PUNCH on condition of anonymity, described his exit as ‘freedom from unprofessionalism’.
The DSS officers listed Bichi’s alleged misconduct to include undue interference in the service’s operations by his wife and son, Yusuf Bichi.
A video of some DSS staff members allegedly celebrating Bichi’s resignation surfaced online immediately after his departure.
Punch