President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the sack of his security service chiefs. The National security adviser, Chief of Defence intelligence, Chief of Army staff, Chief of Naval staff and the Chief of Air staff have all been affected. The Director General of the secret police was sacked over a week ago and replaced with a former spy police boss Lawal Daura from the home state of the president. It is common norm that the heads of the security clusters are replaced with people that are perceived to be loyal to the president.
The sacked security service chiefs have been accused of partisanship especially during the run off to the general elections that saw the former president Goodluck Jonathan lose his bid for a second term in office. The secret police also had displayed bias towards the ruling All Progressive Congress party when allegations that the electoral register was been hacked by the opposition party before the General elections. The Lagos office of the political organization was raided by operatives of the secret police and computer hardwares were carted away as evidence.
The president was sworn in on the 29th May, 2015 and it is expected that he will overhaul his entire security cluster.
The newly appointed security chiefs are:
- 1. Major-General Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin – Chief of Defence Staff;
- 2. Major-General T.Y. Buratai – Chief of Army Staff
- 3. Rear Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas – Chief of Naval Staff
- 4. Air Vice Marshal Sadique Abubakar – Chief of Air Staff
- 5. Air Vice Marshal Morgan Monday Riku – Chief of Defence Intelligence
- 6. Major-General Babagana Monguno (rtd.) – National Security Adviser
By: Abiodun Abidoye, Online Facilitator Breaking Arican News
