ABUJA, Nigeria – Nigerian President Bola Tinubu appointed new chiefs for the country’s homeland security and foreign intelligence agencies on Monday, a week after their predecessors unexpectedly resigned. The appointments come as Africa’s most populous nation continues to grapple with a northeastern insurgency and widespread kidnappings.
Mohammed Mohammed, previously Nigeria’s ambassador to Libya, will lead the National Intelligence Agency. Adeola Ajayi has been named to head the Department of State Security.
The former agency chiefs, appointed by ex-President Muhammadu Buhari in 2018, did not provide reasons for their resignations.
Tinubu’s administration is intensifying efforts to address security challenges, including enhancing intelligence gathering to combat kidnappings for ransom by armed groups and the long-standing insurgency in the northeast.
The appointments are seen as part of Tinubu’s strategy to improve Nigeria’s security apparatus in response to persistent attacks by armed groups across the country.
