NIA Director General Ahmed Rufai Abubakar Resigns, Cites Family Reasons

In a surprise move, Director General of Nigeria’s National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ahmed Rufai Abubakar, has tendered his resignation to President Bola Tinubu.

The announcement came after a routine briefing with the President on Saturday, marking a rare instance of a high-ranking security official stepping down from such a crucial position.

Abubakar, who has served as NIA DG since 2018, spanning two administrations, cited personal and family reasons for his decision.

Although he did not elaborate on the specific issues, he emphasized that there were no serious concerns prompting his action, describing them as “not serious” family reasons.

“There are quite a number of reasons one will do that, some personal family issues, but nothing very serious,” Abubakar said.

He assured that his friendship with the President would continue and that he would remain engaged with the country’s security matters.

The outgoing NIA DG expressed profound gratitude for the opportunity to serve under what he described as President Tinubu’s “transformational leadership.”

Abubakar highlighted the rarity of serving two consecutive presidents in such capacity, underscoring the unique nature of his tenure.

During his six-year stint at the helm of the NIA, Abubakar said he focused on mentoring younger officers, preparing them for leadership roles within the agency.

“We have a lot of many officers who can do this job and do it excellently well,” he remarked, indicating confidence in the agency’s future leadership.

The President’s reaction to the resignation was not disclosed, with Abubakar suggesting that such information should come from either the National Security Adviser (NSA) or the President himself.

“I think, I think it’s not for me to say this, actually, probably I’ll be breaching a protocol, but maybe the NSA and or Mr. President himself will say it.

“But what I can tell you is that I’m very, very grateful for the opportunity that the President gave me, actually to serve the country and his leadership, the encouragement I got, the confidence he had in me and in my service, the opportunity to listen to me, to read briefing notes and advices and so on.

“I think this, for me, is everything and I have had the opportunity to mentor officers and staff for all the period I have been DG,” he added.

Abubakar’s resignation comes as a surprise, given his experience and tenure in the role. His departure marks a significant change in the country’s security leadership, and it remains to be seen who will succeed him as the head of the NIA.