Nuhu Ribadu: First Nigeria’s NSA from non-military background since 1999

President Bola Tinubu on Monday appointed Mallam Nuhu Ribadu as National Security Adviser, the first without military background since the return to democratic governance in 1999.

The announcement by the Office of Secretary to the Government of the Federal (OSGF) siged by the Directoe of Information, Mr Willie Bassey, put to rest the speculations that the president might consider a non-military person for the position.

Ribadu, who was the first Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will become the third retired police officer after late Gambo Jimeta and Ismaila Gwarzo to be appointed to the position.

The new NSA, born on Nov. 21, 1960, was an intelligence police operative who retired as Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG).

He came to national limelight as a star prosecutor at the Oputa Panel which was created to investigate human right abuses during the military era.

He was later appointed Chairman of the Petroleum Special Revenue Task Force before he became the pioneer Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The EFCC was tasked by the Federal Government to counter corruption and fraud in the country.

Ribadu’s pragmatic approach to intelligence gathering and crime-fighting while in EFCC earned him global recognition and awards.

His remarkable efforts led to the de-listing of Nigeria from the Financial Action Task Force List of Non-Cooperative Countries and Territories; admission into the prestigious Egmont Group, and the withdrawal of the US Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network Advisory on Nigeria.

Ribadu was a visiting fellow at the Center for Global Development, a TED Fellow, and a Senior Fellow in St. Antony’s College, University of Oxford, UK.

Ribadu run for President of Nigeria under the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in 2011, and had sought to contest for the governorship of Adamawa on two accessions but missed out during party primaries.