The Director General of the State Security Service, SSS, Tosin Ajayi, has removed Adeboyega Fasasi as the Chief Security Officer, CSO to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Credible security sources who confirmed Mr Fasasi’s removal at the weekend said he was replaced by Rasheed Atanda Lawal, a deputy director currently undergoing a fellowship course at the National Institute for Security Studies.
DAILY NIGERIAN gathered that Mr Tinubu approved Mr Fasasi’s removal upon request of the DG to send him for a “strategic course” — the usual pretext for removing a top security official around the president.
According to sources, Mr Lawal was due for promotion to the rank of director since July 2023, but his promotion was stood down by the former service management as he was not in the good books of the then DG.
“He is among the Deputy Directors that should have been promoted to Director since July 2023, but their vacancies for promotion were given to their juniors like Koko, Milad and Fasasi because of favouritism,” said a source familiar with the development.
DAILY NIGERIAN gathered that Mr Fasasi’s removal might not be unconnected with his alleged high-handedness and stepping on many influential toes around the president.
“Fasasi has stepped on so many toes. Even the president was not so much pleased with the way he coordinates the office,” said an inside source.
New DG, new CSO tradition
Insiders said it has become the tradition of the service to change the CSO to the President when a new DG of SSS is appointed.
“It has now become the tradition of the service for a new DG to redeploy a new CSO that he is comfortable to work with.
“The position of the CSO is highly strategic. The DG needs someone he actually trusts and comfortable with at that key position,” said the source.
DAILY NIGERIAN reports that in March 2019 the then President Muhammadu Buhari had approved the redeployment of his CSO, Bashir Abubakar and accepted Idris Ahmed as replacement.
The then DG of the SSS, Yusuf Bichi, reportedly convinced the president that Mr Bashir was due for a “strategic course” at a university in Buenos Aires, Argentina, hence a decision to replace him.
