Mr Ahmed Abubakar, Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), tendered his resignation to President Bola Tinubu on Saturday causing a disquiet within the agency.

Abubakar submitted his resignation to the President, after a routine briefing which was graciously accepted.

The NIA D-G, speaking to State House correspondents, expressed gratitude to the President for the opportunity to serve Nigeria for an extended period of 15 months, a rare privilege.

“I had the honour of serving two Presidents consecutively. I thanked him for the opportunity afforded me,” he said.

Abubakar cited personal reasons for his resignation, declining to elaborate further, as it would be a breach of protocol.

“There are quite a number of reasons one will do that. Some personal family issues, but nothing very serious, actually, and the friendship will continue.

“I discussed with Mr. President, he understood very well, and I promised to remain steadfast with issues and the security situations of the country.”

He also expressed gratitude to the President for allowing him to serve for the first 15 months of the new administration, having occupied the office since 2018.

“After the briefing, I tendered my resignation and Mr. President graciously approved and accepted the resignation.

“I thanked him for giving me the opportunity to serve Nigeria under his transformational leadership for an extended period of 15 months, which is very rare,” Abubakar said.

He stated that the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the President would disclose the reasons for his resignation if necessary.

Abubakar expressed his appreciation for the President’s leadership, encouragement, and confidence in his service. He also expressed gratitude to the President for allowing him to serve for the first 15 months of the new administration, having occupied the office since 2018.

He highlighted the opportunity to mentor officers and staff during his seven-year tenure as Director-General, saying, “This is a significant milestone for me, and I am grateful for the experience.”