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President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of Ahmed Rufai Abubakar as the substantive Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA).
Until his appointment, Abubakar was the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs/International Relations.
He replaces Ayo Oke who was sacked following the $43.45 million Ikoyi cash scandal.
The new Director General is a retired career Foreign Service officer.
A statement by Presidential Spokesman, Femi Adesina said “Abubakar had extensive experience working with the United Nations in peace support operations, mediation process, preventive diplomacy and good offices, as well as the promotion of good governance and respect for the rule of law and human rights.
“He also briefly served as Senior Adviser at the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), with headquarters in Ndjamena, Chad, before his appointment as SSAP.
“Abubakar holds a B.A degree in French Language and Literature, and an M.A degree in Francophone Maghrebian Literature, both from Bayero University, Kano. He is also fluent in English and Arabic.
“The appointment takes immediate effect”