President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has accepted the resignation of Ahmed Rufai Abubakar, the head of Nigeria’s National Intelligence Agency (NIA).
This information was shared by Abubakar on August 24 in Abuja.
Ahmed Rufai Abubakar was chosen as NIA leader by former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2018.
Resignation Details
Abubakar was last seen publicly with President Tinubu at a Saudi-Africa Summit in Riyadh in November 2023.
This summit was a chance for President Tinubu to strengthen ties with Saudi Arabia and attract foreign investment to Nigeria.
Top officials who attended the summit with Tinubu included the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Bagudu; the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; and the NIA head, Ahmed Rufai Abubakar.
Abubakar did not give specific reasons for his resignation but said it was not a serious issue.
He thanked President Tinubu for the chance to serve Nigeria for 15 months and referred to it as a rare opportunity to serve under two Presidents.
He said:
“It’s normal to update the president on different situations. Today, after my briefing, I resigned, and Mr. President kindly accepted it.
I thanked him a lot and promised to keep serving our country in other ways.
I’m very grateful for the chance given to me by the president to serve. For his support, trust, and for listening to my advice. I also got to mentor a lot of officers and staff in my seven years as the DG.”
“There are many reasons for my decision—some personal family matters—but nothing serious. My relationship with the President will remain strong, and he understood my reasons.”
More Insights
- Rufai also worked as a Senior Special Assistant to former President Buhari on Foreign Affairs and International Relations.
- He has experience with the United Nations in mediation and diplomacy.
- The NIA is a federal government agency that handles foreign intelligence and counterintelligence.
- The presidency hasn’t commented yet, but a new head for the NIA is expected to be announced soon.