Buhari Fires Military Bodyguards in Aso Rock, Replaces Them with DSS

Military personnel who have been providing close body protection for the President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari have reportedly being removed from the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

 A source revealed that the President authorized the redeployment before he left for his medical vacation in London, UK.

 The deployment of the soldiers to protect the president at the inception of his administration in 2015 generated heated controversy as both his then Chief Security officer (CSO) and DSS personnel, Abdulraman Mani, and the Aide de camp (ADC) to the President, Colonel Lawal Abubakar were involved in a public spat (they engaged in a brief and petty quarrel) on whose responsibility it was to provide close body protection to the President.

 While Mani argued that it was the responsibility of the DSS to provide close body protection to the President while members of other services could man the outer protection ring, Abubakar insisted on having military personnel as close bodyguards.

Buhari who sided with the ADC, retained the soldiers and relieved Mani of his appointment.

 The present CSO, Bashir Abubakar, was also said to have expressed reservations about the handling of the President’s protection by the soldiers.

The DSS personnel are now expected to man all the security points that were previously the responsibilities of the soldiers.