Storm over redeployment of Tinubu’s CSO

Move by the Department of State Services, DSS, to replace Adegboyega Fasasi, the Chief Security Officer, CSO, to President Bola Tinubu is drawing strong currents in the top intelligence and political circles in Abuja.

Reports said that the new Director-General of the DSS, Mr Tosin Ajayi, had recently withdrawn Fasasi and replaced him with Rasheed Lawal, a deputy director in the service.

While the move was interpreted as part of the ongoing reorganisation of the service by Ajayi, it has, however, received criticism by some as a witch-hunt directed at the outgoing CSO.

The critics of the move alleged it as a plot to break down what they see as the political clout that has been weaved around the outgoing CSO, and have as such vowed to reverse the redeployment.

However, other sources see it as a bold move by the new DG, saying the withdrawal of Fasasi for the purpose of attending a professional course was part of the moves to restore professionalism in the service.

The basis of sending Fasasi on the professional course was that he had been promoted at least twice in the last year by the erstwhile DSS D-G, Mr Bichi.

The promotions, it is claimed, were done without the requisite professional courses needed to fit in with his new position.

However, very reliable sources in the intelligence community in Abuja averred that the move was being seen as another move to avert the kind of Major Al-Mustapha scenario during the Sani Abacha regime when a service personnel was seen working outside the loop of the service.

Reacting to the claim that Fasasi was unjustly sent on course, a reliable source said yesterday evening: “My brother, the truth is not being painted correctly by politicians.

‘’There is no witch-hunt, the fact is that I can tell you that the move is being applauded by many people who see it as a way of attaining the goals of the service in promoting the overall wellbeing of the presidency. You are looking at minute or perhaps personal goals.

“You remember that Ndume interview about the logjam of seeing the president and all that stuff which I cannot tell you but which this replacement aims to address.

“Even more, the outgoing CSO has to get the requisite professional training to sustain his career path in the service, so I don’t see what the fuss is all about.

“Instead of you, journalists, pointing the pubic at the good work and successful deployment of intelligence in tackling the bad boys and bandits in the last few months, you are going about teasing about a professional deployment.”