How End Bad Governance Protest Cost DSS, NIA Bosses Their Jobs

The recent resignations of Yusuf Bichi, the former Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), and Ahmed Abubakar, the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), have been linked to mounting dissatisfaction within the Nigerian government over the agencies’ performance, particularly in response to recent high-profile incidents.

 

 

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Sources within the Presidency disclosed that President Bola Tinubu and National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu expressed concerns about the intelligence failures that led to the violent #EndBadGovernance protests in several northern states and the unexpected seizure of three Nigerian presidential aircraft in France by a Chinese company, Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited.

 

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Bichi was reportedly held responsible for the DSS’s failure to provide timely and actionable intelligence that could have prevented or mitigated the violence that erupted during the #EndBadGovernance protests.

 

These protests, which began on August 1, 2024, were driven by public outrage over the removal of fuel subsidies, electricity tariff hikes, and the worsening cost of living.

 

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The unrest quickly escalated in states like Kano, Gombe, Yobe, Borno, and Bauchi, leading to the destruction of public and private properties and the imposition of curfews in Kano, Bauchi, and Plateau states.

 

Meanwhile, Abubakar faced criticism for the NIA’s failure to foresee and prevent the legal actions taken by the Chinese company, which resulted in the seizure of Nigerian presidential jets in France.

 

 

The aircraft, including a newly acquired Airbus, were seized following a ruling by a French court related to a long-standing legal dispute between Zhongshan and the Ogun State Government. This incident was reportedly seen as a significant international embarrassment for President Tinubu and NSA Ribadu.

 

Bichi, who hails from Kano, was appointed as DSS Director-General on September 14, 2018, by former President Muhammadu Buhari. Abubakar, from Katsina State, also took office under Buhari on January 10, 2018. Their departures mark a significant shift in Nigeria’s intelligence leadership under the current administration.

 

One source close to the situation explained, “The seizure of the presidential jets and the violent nature of the #EndBadGovernance protest embarrassed the President nationally and internationally. The President was displeased with the NIA and DSS bosses. This was why he requested the resignation of the two security chiefs.”

 

Another source revealed that tensions between Bichi and Ribadu had been simmering long before the protests, with the fallout from the northern demonstrations serving as the tipping point.

 

 

The source noted, “The former DSS DG and the NSA boss had been on bad terms for some time. Their issues escalated to the point that Bichi was unable to meet the President for a while. The Presidency finally had a valid reason to dismiss him due to the #EndBadGovernance protest.”

 

Abubakar announced his resignation on Saturday, August 24, after meeting with President Tinubu. Bichi’s resignation followed, announced in a statement by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, on Monday, August 26.

 

These resignations underscore the high stakes and intense scrutiny within Nigeria’s security apparatus, especially as the government faces growing public discontent and international challenges.