Ita Ekpenyong, SSS Director General, Got Booted By President Buhari

Ita Ekpenyong, the Director of the State Security Service got a marching order by President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday.

Ita Ekpeyong

This was announced, on Thursday, by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Danladi Kifasi, via a statement by the Director of Communications in his office, Haruna Imrana.

The President appointed Lawal Musa Daura as the new head of the agency, which serves as Nigeria’s secret police.

The former director general of SSS, Mr Ita Ekpeyong, later denied being sacked, but said he voluntarily resigned at about 10 a.m. on Thursday.

A presidency source said even if he resigned, he was compelled to do so, though that claim could not be independently verified at the time of filling this report.

“If he was instructed to submit a resignation letter, is that not a sack?” the source said.

Although, the removal of Mr. Ekpenyong, who was appointed DG of the agency on September 8, 2010, has long been expected.

The appointment of Mr. Daura is with immediate effect, the statement said. 

Mr. Daura becomes the sixth director general of the SSS, one of the three security agencies created out of the defunct National Security Organisation in 1986.