Tinubu fires CSO, Adeboyega Fasasi, names replacement

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the removal of Adeboyega Fasasi as his Chief Security Officer (CSO), replacing him with Rasheed Atanda Lawal, a deputy director at the State Security Service (SSS).

The decision follows a request from the Director General of the SSS, Tosin Ajayi, to send Mr. Fasasi on a “strategic course,” a common practice for removing high-ranking security personnel from the presidential team.

Credible sources suggest that Mr. Fasasi’s removal may be linked to allegations of high-handedness and his strained relations with key individuals within the president’s circle.

His successor, Mr. Lawal, had his promotion to the rank of director delayed in 2023 due to favouritism under the previous SSS management.

His appointment is part of the tradition where a new SSS DG selects a CSO they trust and feel comfortable working with.

This shift mirrors similar changes under previous administrations, such as the redeployment of President Muhammadu Buhari’s CSO in 2019.