The Department of State Service (DSS) has officially appointed Rasheed Atanda Lawal, a Deputy Director, as the new Chief Security Officer (CSO) to President Bola Tinubu, succeeding Adegboyega Fasasi.
As of Sunday evening, details regarding this transition were scarce; however, sources suggest that Fasasi, who has served in the CSO role since Tinubu’s inauguration, is resigning to engage in a professional training program.
Insiders report that DSS Director-General Tosin Ajayi sought President Tinubu’s consent to allow Fasasi to take advantage of this strategic training opportunity.
While there were speculations about possible controversies related to this change, sources familiar with the matter highlighted that such personnel shifts are routine within the agency.
“It’s not unusual for changes like this to occur when a new DG is appointed at the DSS,” one anonymous source noted.
“Typically, the new Director-General prefers to install trusted personnel in key positions, especially in sensitive areas like the President’s security.”
The source indicated that although Fasasi’s departure is officially linked to his training, there may be other factors at play influencing such decisions.
Nonetheless, they emphasized that this should not be perceived as concerning, presenting it instead as a normal procedure within security operations.
At the time of this report, there had been no formal confirmation about the alterations in the CSO’s office; however, another source provided reassurance that the situation should be considered a typical security assignment.
