Pat Yayha/
Major General S.A. Adebayo has been appointed head of the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), following the retirement of Air Vice Marshal M.S. Usman.
The DIA, established in 1986, is regarded as the apex body of Nigeria’s military intelligence services.
Adebayo previously served as the Director of Military Intelligence, the Intelligence arm of the Nigerian Army and Director of Foreign Liaison at the Defence Intelligence Agency.
The change of agency guards is coming about a week after Major General Gbolahan Oyefesobi took over from Usman in acting capacity, following the latter’s retirement and subsequent nomination as Non-Career Ambassador-Designate by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The DIA provides military intelligence for the Armed Forces, the Ministry of Defence, and maintains territorial integrity.
It also provides advisory for promoting Nigeria’s defence policy and enhancing military cooperation with foreign nations.
According to a 2020 report by the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab, the Defence Intelligence Agency acquired equipment that it can use to spy on citizens’ calls and text messages.
The agency was also reported to have been behind the security alerts placed on some individuals involved with the unprecedented #EndSars protest in October 2020.
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