The Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Tosin Ajayi, has removed Adeboyega Fasasi from his position as Chief Security Officer (CSO) to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Multiple reliable security sources confirmed this development to Fusion Chronicles Nigerian Newspaper over the weekend, stating that Fasasi has been replaced by Rasheed Atanda Lawal, a deputy director currently participating in a fellowship at the National Institute for Security Studies.
Sources revealed that President Tinubu approved the removal following a request from the DSS Director General to send Fasasi on a “strategic course,” which is often the reason given for reassigning top security officials close to the president.
Insiders disclosed that Lawal was due for promotion to director in July 2023, but his promotion was delayed by the former service leadership.
According to a source, Lawal was passed over for promotion in favor of junior officers, including Koko, Milad, and Fasasi, due to internal favoritism under the previous administration.
“Lawal should have been promoted since July 2023, but his promotion was overlooked in favor of juniors,” a source told Fusion Chronicles Nigerian Newspaper.
Fasasi’s removal may also be linked to allegations of high-handedness and creating friction with key figures around the president.
“He stepped on many influential toes, and the president was not entirely satisfied with his coordination of the office,” the source added.
It is also customary for the DSS to replace the president’s CSO when a new Director General is appointed.
According to sources, the position of CSO is highly strategic, and a new DG often selects someone they trust and feel comfortable working with in that role.
This tradition was also followed in March 2019 when then-President Muhammadu Buhari approved the redeployment of his CSO, Bashir Abubakar, and replaced him with Idris Ahmed.
The former DSS DG, Yusuf Bichi, reportedly convinced Buhari that Abubakar was due for a “strategic course” in Buenos Aires, Argentina, which led to his replacement.
