Ahmed Abubakar, the Director General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), tendered his resignation to President Bola Tinubu on Saturday at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja. After briefing journalists at the State House, Abubakar explained that his decision was influenced by personal and family matters, though he emphasized that the issues were not serious.
“There are quite a number of reasons one will do that. Some personal family issues, but nothing very serious, actually, and the friendship will continue,” Abubakar said, expressing that his relationship with President Tinubu remains intact. He assured that he would continue to contribute to the country’s security matters.
Abubakar, who served as the NIA head since 2018, thanked the President for the opportunity to extend his service under the new administration for an additional 15 months. He added, “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.”
Initially appointed by former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2018, Abubakar’s term was extended in December 2021. Abubakar, a 71-year-old retired career foreign service officer from Katsina State, joined Nigeria’s Foreign Service in 1993 and later served as senior special assistant to the president on international relations and foreign affairs.
Abubakar holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in French from Bayero University, Kano, and is proficient in English and Arabic.
