Tinubu CSO Removed By DSS Boss

Adeboyega Fasasi, the Chief Security Officer (CSO) to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has been removed from his position by the Director General of the State Security Service (SSS), Tosin Ajayi.

Fasasi’s removal was approved by President Tinubu after Ajayi requested that Fasasi be sent for a “strategic course” – a phrase that has become synonymous with the removal of top security officials around the president.

Credible security sources who confirmed Mr Fasasi’s removal to Daily Nigerian at the weekend, said a deputy director currently undergoing a fellowship course at the National Institute for Security Studies, Rasheed Atanda Lawal has been appointed as Fasasi’s replacement.

Mr Lawal was said to have 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 whose vacancies for promotion were given to their juniors like Koko, Milad and Fasasi because of favouritism,” said a source familiar with the development.

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Sources close to the development revealed that Fasasi’s removal may be linked to his alleged high-handedness and stepping on 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,” an insider disclosed.

Strategic Course or Strategic Removal?

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.

Osun Defender 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.