Buhari fires CSO Abdulrahman Mani. for allegedly leaking his itinerary to former Minister, Diezani Madueke

Abdulrahman Mani. (Photo Credit: Daily Post)

President Muhammadu Buhari has sacked Abdulrahman Mani, his chief security officer (CSO).

Mani was appointed Buhari’s CSO after the presidential election in March.

TheCable reports that Mani committed various misdemeanours, “chief among which was a recent discovery that he was actually the one who leaked Buhari’s itinerary to Diezani Alison-Madueke when he travelled to London in May”.

Alison-Madueke, then minister of petroleum resources, had surprisingly travelled on the same British Airways flight with Buhari, sitting in the same cabin and right behind the then president-elect.

Many believed that Diezani desperately trailed for peace talks with Buhari following a series of allegations of corruption against her, although her aides denied the claim, maintaining that she was on a private trip for her son’s graduation.

“Investigations also revealed that Mani has been actively undermining the president, working against every value the president upholds and conducting himself in such a manner as to suggest that he is out to pull down the president,” the source told TheCable.

Sources familiar with the matter however told PREMIUM TIMES that 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.

PREMIUM TIMES learnt that Mr. Mani 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.

Mr. Mani, a personnel of the SSS himself, continued, “Though further actions have been initiated in this regard, including routine redeployment of close body guards out of the villa, and deployment of new ones, it is important to state that the duties hitherto performed by the personnel of the DSS (SSS) in the Presidential Villa and/or any other Key Vulnerable Points (KVPs) are backed by relevant Statutes and Gazetted Instruments of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Buhari also fired Widi Liman, his administrative officer, who in conjuction with Mani allegedly turned securing appointments with the president into a “business venture”.

Bashir Abubakar is the new CSO to the president, while Mani has been redeployed to Ebonyi State.

Abubakar was until now an assistant director in the Bayelsa State command of the Department of State Services (DSS).

Liman, who is yet to be replaced, was a close aide to governor of Kaduna state, Nasir el-Rufai, while he was FCT minister. He has been transferred to the Oyo State command of the DSS.