Trending Video of Officials Celebrating Ex-DSS Boss Yusuf Bichi’s Removal Real or Fake?

• The authenticity of a viral video showing officials of the DSS rejoicing over Yusuf Bichi's sack has continued to generate reactions in the polity
• It was alleged that DSS members on Monday celebrated the news of Bichi's replacement with Adeola Ajayi as the new director general of the Secret Service
• Mike Ejiofor, a former director of the DSS, has shed more light on the development and also explained what the new SSS boss Ajayi should do regarding the video

Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.

Former Department of State Services (DSS) director Mike Ejiofor has attributed the viral video following Adeola Ajayi's appointment as the new DSS director general to the actions of mischief makers.

Ejiofor, who was a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Wednesday, August 28, said the new director general of the secret police should investigate the viral content.

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Recall that on Monday, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu replaced Yusuf Bichi with the appointment of Ajayi, who was, until his new role, the assistant director-general of the DSS.

The president also appointed Mohammed Mohammed to replace Ahmed Rufai as the new director general of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA).

Former President Muhammadu Buhari appointed Bichi and Rufai to head the two intelligence agencies in 2018. Tinubu had retained both men in June 2023 when he fired all service chiefs and heads of security agencies.

Mike Ejiofor denounces action of DSS officials

Shortly after the new appointments of Mohammed and Ajayi, social media was flooded with video clips of supposed DSS personnel jubilating at the headquarters of the secret police in Abuja.

In his comments on the viral video, Ejiofor said:

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"Some of those videos are old videos, as far back as 2018, not new videos. Mischief makers, you know, if you look at the social media and how they go about it.

"But granted without conceding that it’s a new thing (video) when you have new appointments or elections are over, people are bound to jubilate; some people will say our man is coming in."

Watch the video of the alleged DSS officials celebrating Bichi's sack:

Ex-DSS DG accused of recruiting 'fake' Cotonou graduates

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that ex-DSS director-general Yusuf Magaji Bichi was facing serious allegations of nepotism and misconduct, as detailed by UK-based Nigerian journalist Jaafar Jaafar.

Accusations included lowering recruitment standards, extending the tenure of favoured directors, and allowing undue influence from family members within the service.

The revelations prompted calls for a thorough investigation and a "factory reset" of the DSS.

Proofreading by Nkem Ikeke, journalist and copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng