BREAKING: Buhari Fires His CSO, Abdulrahman Mani For 'Sharp Practices'

 

President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday fired his Chief Security Officer, Abdulrahman Mani, and requested the State Security Service to redeploy him out of the presidential villa, online news blog, Premium Times has reported.

 

Though the presidency has yet to officially announce the development, but Premium Times, quoted sources from Presidential Villa who confirmed that Mr. Mani has since been replaced by Bashir Abubakar, who, until his appointment was an assistant director in the Bayelsa state command of the SSS.

 

Mr. Mani has in turn been redeployed to the Ebonyi state command of the SSS, it was further gathered.

 

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, directed all enquiries on the matter to the State Security Service.

 

SKYTREND NEWS could however not independently confirm the information nor could reach the State Security Services as at Press Time.

 

According to Premium Times, the president ordered Mr. Mani removed following repeated complaints that he was blocking people with genuine appointments from having access to the President.

 

“He was becoming excessively overzealous and overbearing,” one source said.

 

According to Premium Times, Mr. Mani first angered Mr. Buhari when he engaged the president’s aide-de-camp, Mohammed Abubakar, in what appeared a power struggle.

Mr. Abubakar, a Lieutenant Colonel, had issued a memo ordering personnel of the State Security Service out of inner Aso Rock and restricting them to guarding the “outer perimeter” of the presidential villa, saying personnel of the Armed Forces and the police, trained as Presidential Body Guards (PBGs), are to “provide close/immediate protection for Mr. President henceforth”.

 

Mr. Abubakar said SSS operatives should steer clear of areas such as “Admin Reception, Service Chiefs Gate, Residence Reception, Rear Resident, Resident Gate, Office Reception, C-In-C Control Office, ACADE Gate, C-IN-C Control Gate and Panama”.

 

“However, the personnel of the DSS in conjunction with other security forces are to man other duty beats/locations located within the immediate outer perimeter of the Presidential Villa,” he said, without providing reasons for the action.

 

But in a June 26 response to Mr. Abubakar, Mr. Mani, rejected the directive and gave a counter order asking his colleagues to disregard the spirit, intent and content of Mr. Abubakar’s circular.

 

Mr. Mani, who pointedly accused the ADC of grandstanding, overzealousness, limited knowledge and outright display of ignorance, insisted that Mr. Abubakar’s circular “grossly misrepresents” President Buhari’s directive.

 

He however did not say what the President’s exact directive is.

 

TheCable also reported that Mr Mani was actually the one who leaked Buhari's itinerary to Diezani Alison-Madueke when he travelled to London in May. Allison Madueke then Minister of Petroleum Resources has surprisingly travelled in the same British Airways with Buhari, sitting right behind the President-elect. It was alleged that she wanted to curry the favour of Buhari following series of corruption allegations against her.

 

SKYTREND NEWS also gathered that Buhari has fired Widi Liman, administrative officer, who was accused of working together with Mani in turning apointments with Buhari to a 'business venture'

 

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