The Director General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ahmed Rufai Abubakar, submitted his resignation to President Bola Tinubu on Saturday.
Abubakar revealed to State House reporters on Saturday, shortly after meeting with President Tinubu, that he had discussed his decision with the President, who understood and accepted his resignation.
During his visit to the Presidential Villa, Abubakar explained that he came to brief President Tinubu on various matters, as he regularly does. Following the briefing, he tendered his resignation, which the President graciously accepted.
Abubakar took the opportunity to express his gratitude to Tinubu for allowing him to serve Nigeria under his transformational leadership for an extended period of 15 months—a rare opportunity to serve under two different presidents consecutively.
Despite his resignation, Abubakar vowed to remain professionally dedicated to Nigeria. When asked about his decision to resign, he assured that there was nothing serious to worry about, citing personal and family matters as the reasons, though he did not disclose specific details.
“There are several reasons one might take such a step, some personal, family issues. But nothing too serious,” Abubakar said. “I discussed this with Mr. President, and he understood. I also promised to remain committed to the security concerns of the country.”
Appointed as the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) in 2018 by former President Muhammadu Buhari, Abubakar’s tenure was extended in December 2021. The 71-year-old retired career foreign service officer from Katsina State began his career in the security department of the Nigerian Foreign Service in 1993. In 2015, he was appointed Senior Special Assistant to the President (SSAP) on international relations and foreign affairs.
Abubakar holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in French from Bayero University, Kano, and is fluent in English and Arabic.