Department of State Services has removed Mr Bashir Abubakar as President Muhammadu Buhari’s Chief Security Officer.

Abubakar was immediately replaced with Mr Idris Kazeem Ahmed.

According to insiders in the Presidency, Abubakar will be proceeding on strategic course at National Defence University (Fadena), Buenos Aires, Argentina as a face-saving measure.

Security source said DSS authorities had directed that the changes should take immediate effect.

It was further learnt that Administrative Officer of Presidential Villa, Mr Abubakar Maikano, had also been directed to stand in,  any time the new CSO is not available.

This is the second time Buhari’s CSO will be replaced since his assumption of office in May 2015.

His first CSO, Mr Abdulrahman Mani, was removed in July 2015 and was replaced with Abubakar.

Abubakar was said to have become a one-man cabal that had become too powerful to the detriment of the interest of the Buhari’s Presidency.

Another presidential source said the removed CSO was almost sacked but for the intervention of some friends of the President.

Some powerful people were said to have complained about his activities.

For example, it was gathered that Abubakar stopped some friends of the President from gaining access to him and was also said to be rude to the current Director-General of DSS, Mr Yusuf Bichi.

The source said, “I think he was power-drunk. He allowed the position he occupied to enter his head and felt that he got the position by promotion. He was rude and even was responsible for the non-acreditation of some media house at the Villa.

“He talked down on people and even friends of the President had complained bitterly about him.

“He had also had issues with current DG of DSS. So, his cup was full. The course is just a face-saving measure.”

Punch