Why I resigned as NIA Director General – Ahmed Rufai Abubakar

Ahmed Rufai Abubakar, the former Director General of the Nigeria Intelligence Agency (NIA), has opened up about the reasons behind his recent resignation.

In a statement, Abubakar cited personal reasons and the need to pave the way for fresh leadership within the agency as key factors that influenced his decision.

He said:

“It’s a routine thing from time to time to brief Mr President on situations, on issues and today is no exception.

After the briefing, actually I tendered my resignation and Mr President graciously approved and accepted the resignation. I thanked him for giving me the opportunity to serve Nigeria under his transformational leadership for an extended period of 15 months which is very rare, by the way, to have the opportunity to serve 2 Presidents at a stretch, at a whole.

So, I thanked him very well and promises to remain professionally dedicated to our country and to noble causes.

There are quite a number of reasons one will do that (resign), some personal family issues but nothing serious actually and the friendship will continue. I discussed personally with Mr President and he understood very well.”

Appointed in 2018 by former President Muhammadu Buhari, Abubakar has had a distinguished career, including extensive experience with the United Nations and other international bodies. He expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve and emphasized his confidence in the agency’s future under new leadership.

Abubakar’s departure has prompted discussions about the challenges and opportunities facing Nigeria’s intelligence community, especially during a time of heightened security concerns.

Why I resigned as NIA Director General – Ahmed Rufai Abubakar pic.twitter.com/S8aDkPBGWD

— News360 Nigeria (@News360ngr) August 24, 2024