Facts Emerge On Tinubu’s Alleged Appointment Of Abacha’s CSO, Al Mustapha As DSS DG

— Al-Mustapha, Tinubu

— By Ademola Idris

The claim of the appointment by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu circulating across social media platforms like TikTok and Facebook surfaced on Friday, June 23, 2023.

The DSS is a security agency in Nigeria and one of three successor organisations to the National Security Organization (NSO).

On Monday, July 10, one Grace Idom wrote on Facebook: “Bola Ahmed Tinibu Appoint Major Dr. Hamza Al’mustapha As Director General DSS. “The Jagaban is ready to take Nigerian to promise land. On your mandate we shall stand.” Atiku Dakur and Ahmad Muhammad Usman repeated same claim on the same platform.

However, the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR) has carried out a fact-check where it ruled the claim as false. It is understood that Yusuf Bichi remains the DG of the Nigerian secret police.

“Appointment of Al-Mustapha, a popular intelligence officer, as the new DSS DG, the claim is not true,” a source told Metropolix Online.

Al-Mustapha is a Nigerian Army Major and the presidential candidate of the Action Alliance (AA) during the 2023 general elections.

The 62-year-old was famous as the Chief Security Officer (CSO) to the former Head of State of Nigeria, the late General Sani Abacha.

As against some claims on social media, President Tinubu did not appoint Major Al-Mustapha as DG of DSS.

Also, there is no credible media organisation that published the claim at the time of publishing this report. Therefore, ICIR submitted that the claim that President Bola Tinubu appointed Hamza Al-Mustapha as the DG of DSS is untrue.