New NIA DG did not fail qualification exams, not married to Moroccan – Presidency insists

Sequel to widespread criticisms and specific allegations that greeted the appointment of Ahmed Rufai Abubakar as the new Director General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), the Presidency on Sunday reacted insisting that the allegations were misleading and baseless.

There had been allegations that the new DG was unqualified for the position because he retired from the agency as an Assistant Director, because he failed promotion examinations twice, and had to quit.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina in a statement also denied claims that the new NIA DG was married to a Moroccan.

According to the statement, the President appointed Abubakar because he had worked closely with him in the past two years.

“A lot of half-truths, misinformation, and outright falsehood have attended the announcement of a new Director-General for the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), in the person of Mr Ahmed Rufai Abubakar”

“Some of such unfounded stories include that Abubakar had retired from the services of NIA as an Assistant Director, because he failed promotion examinations twice, and had to quit, willy-nilly. Others claim he is married to a Moroccan, and so cannot hold such sensitive security position, while others say he was born and bred in Chad, and he holds dual nationality. All these have been widely disseminated on the social, and some mainstream media. With the formal assumption of office by Mr Abubakar, it is now necessary to set the facts straight”.

“The new NIA DG retired from Foreign Service as Deputy Director (not Assistant Director) and three times during his career, had won Merit Award for competence and meritorious service. Failing promotion examination can only exist in the fecund minds of fiction writers. His last position before the new appointment was as Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs/International Affairs where again he quietly proved himself”.

Abubakar’s parents hailed from Katsina State, and had settled in Chad at a point in their lifetime. The new DG did his primary school in Ndjamena (then Fort-Lamy), but returned to Nigeria for his secondary and University education. He never at any time held Chadian nationality.

“Mr Abubakar’s only wife hails from Katsina State, indeed, from the same community as the husband. The story of being married to a Moroccan can only be tale by moonlight, concocted by people who love a fib”.

“The President appointed the new DG because he had worked closely with him in the past two years, and sincerely believes that he would add value to the NIA”.