The Director General of the State Security Service (SSS), Tosin Ajayi, has removed Adeboyega Fasasi as the Chief Security Officer (CSO) to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Rasheed Atanda Lawal, a deputy director, has been appointed as his replacement. Lawal, currently undergoing a fellowship at the National Institute for Security Studies, was reportedly due for promotion since July 2023, but his promotion was previously delayed due to internal issues within the SSS.
Sources familiar with the development reveal that Mr. Fasasi’s removal, approved by President Tinubu, was initiated by the SSS DG, who requested Fasasi’s reassignment to a “strategic course.” The move follows the tradition where a new DG often replaces the CSO with someone he trusts and feels comfortable working with. Insiders suggest that Fasasi’s removal might also be linked to allegations of high-handedness and conflicts with influential figures around the president.
This practice of replacing the CSO upon the appointment of a new DG mirrors previous changes, such as in 2019, when President Muhammadu Buhari replaced his CSO after the then SSS DG, Yusuf Bichi, recommended a strategic reassignment.