President Muhammadu Buhari Fires His Chief Security Officer

On Saturday, President Muhammadu Buhari fired his Chief Security Officer, Abdulrahman Mani, and requested the State Security Service to redeploy him out of the presidential villa, sources in the presidential villa and the State Security Service reported. It was learnt that Mr. Mani has since been replaced by Bashir Abubakar, who, until his appointment was an assistant director in the Bayelsa state command of the SSS but the presidency has yet to officially announce the development. It was learnt that Mr. Mani has since been redeployed to the Ebonyi state command of the SSS. The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, directed all enquiries on the matter to the State Security Service. “I don’t speak on security matters, so you may have to ask the SSS,” Mr. Adesina. Close sources said that the president ordered Mr. Mani removed following repeated complaints that he was blocking people with genuine appointments from having access to the President. “He was becoming excessively overzealous and overbearing,” one source said. Mr. Mani first angered Mr. Buhari when he engaged the president’s aide-de-camp, Mohammed Abubakar, in what appeared to be a power struggle. Mr. Abubakar, a Lieutenant Colonel, had issued a memo ordering personnel of the State Security Service out of inner Aso Rock and restricting them to guarding the “outer perimeter” of the presidential villa, saying personnel of the Armed Forces and the police, trained as Presidential Body Guards (PBGs), are to “provide close/immediate protection for Mr. President henceforth”. Mr. Abubakar said SSS operatives should steer clear of areas such as “Admin Reception, Service Chiefs Gate, Residence Reception, Rear Resident, Resident Gate, Office Reception, C-In-C Control Office, ACADE Gate, C-IN-C Control Gate and Panama”. “However, the personnel of the DSS in conjunction with other security forces are to man other duty beats/locations located within the immediate outer perimeter of the Presidential Villa,” he said, without providing reasons for the action. But in a June 26 response to Mr. Abubakar, Mr. Mani, rejected the directive and gave a counter order asking his colleagues to disregard the spirit, intent and content of Mr. Abubakar’s circular. Mr. Mani, who pointedly accused the ADC of grandstanding, overzealousness, limited knowledge and outright display of ignorance, insisted that Mr. Abubakar’s circular “grossly misrepresents” President Buhari’s directive. He however did not say what the President’s exact directive is. Mr. Mani, a personnel of the SSS, continued, “Though further actions have been initiated in this regard, including routine redeployment of close body guards out of the villa, and deployment of new ones, it is important to state that the duties hitherto performed by the personnel of the DSS (SSS) in the Presidential Villa and/or any other Key Vulnerable Points (KVPs) are backed by relevant Statutes and Gazetted Instruments of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”. “Among others, these roles include close body protection of the President in line with standard operational procedures and international best practices. “For the avoidance of doubt, Section 2 (1) (ii) of Instrument No. SSS 1 of 23rd May, 1999, made pursuant to Section 6 of the National Security Agencies (NSA) decree of 1986 which has been re-enacted as Section 6 of NSA Act CAP N74 LFN 2004, empowers personnel of the DSS to provide protective security for designated principal government functionaries including, but not limited to the President and Vice President as well as members of their immediate families. “It also mandates the DSS to provide protective security for sensitive installations such as the Presidential Villa and visiting foreign dignitaries. For this reason, personnel of the DSS who are on this schedule are carefully selected and properly trained both locally and abroad. Furthermore, continued background checks are maintained on them to confirm suitability and loyalty.

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