Ahmed Rufai Abubakar, the director-general (DG) of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), has resigned from his position.
News About Nigeria reports that he submitted his resignation letter to President Bola Tinubu on Saturday.
The circumstances surrounding his departure remain unclear.
Following the submission of his resignation letter, Abubakar addressed journalists, revealing that President Tinubu has accepted his decision to step down.
Abubakar downplayed the significance of his resignation, characterizing it as a routine thing.
He said, “After the briefing, I actually tendered my resignation and Mr President graciously approved and accepted the resignation,” he said in an interview with a journalist in State House, Abuja.
Abubakar, a multilingual individual with expertise in French, English, and Arabic, holds advanced degrees from Bayero University in Kano.
With a storied career spanning decades, the 71-year-old veteran diplomat from Katsina state was initially appointed to helm the NIA by former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2018, with his tenure later extended in 2021.
His professional journey began in 1993 within the security division of the Nigerian Foreign Service, followed by a stint as a senior presidential advisor on international relations and foreign affairs.
Abubakar had taken over the reins of the NIA in 2018 after his predecessor, Ayo Oke, was suspended in April 2017 by former President Muhammadu Buhari over allegations of fraud.
Oke was later dismissed on October 30, 2017, following a probe into the allegations.
Before his appointment, he worked as a Senior Special Assistant to the President (SSAP) on Foreign Affairs/International Relations.
The Presidency has yet to issue an official statement on the development.
