From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
The future of the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Mallam Ahmed Rufa’i, with the agency has sharply divided Northern youths.
Tackling Arewa Youth Groups for demanding the sack of the NIA DG, Arewa Youth Federation (AYF) on Wednesday, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to discountenance the ill informed and ill motivated call.
Convener of the AYF, Comrade Kabiru Muhammed, made the call in a statement he made available to newsmen in Abuja while reacting to the demand by the AYG.
“The appointment of the DG NIA is the exclusive prerogative of President  Buhari who has all the security information at his disposal to make informed decision as to who to be appointed in any position in the country most especially in the security formations.
“President Buhari is determined to end insurgency, banditry and other forms of criminality in the country. He knows who to appoint within the security architecture to drive his vision of a secured Nigeria.
“We wonder if the Arewa Youth Groups thinks the job of the DG of NIA is a political appointment where they expect the DG to come to the press and reel out his achievements. For avoidance of doubt, the NIA oversees foreign intelligence and counterintelligence operations,” the statement read.
AYF, which has been involved in peace building across the North East and North West, insisted that the call is ill timed and sponsored by the enemies of the country to distract the NIA at a time tremendous success has been recorded in the war against insurgency and banditry in the country.
“The security architecture in the country is witnessing the most formidable Inter agency collaboration which the NIA is driving. This collaboration has witness the killing of senior Boko Haram/ISWAP leaders, arrest of informants and logistics suppliers of the terrorists. Thousands of terrorists have surrendered to the Military in the last few months.
“We are tempted to believe that the Arewa Youth Groups is sponsored by enemies of the country and war against insurgency. If not, what other explanation do they need more than the explanation by the National Security Adviser, Major Gen. Mungonu, that the appointment of Amb Ahmed Rufa’i Abubakar as the NIA DG met the provisions of the National Security Agencies Act 1986 (Cap 278 LFN).
“Arewa Youth Groups must understand that security issues are not discussed in the media. Rather intelligence is gotten, analyzed and appropriate actions taken. Ahmed Rufa’i remains the most effective DG of NIA.
“It is curious that all along, the Arewa Youth Groups or their sponsors have remained silent until now that it is evident that the security agencies are on the last lap of winning the war against insurgency and banditry. Knowing very well that this war is driven by effective intelligence gathering, they have come up with such attack and frivolous allegations against the NIA which is leading in intelligence gathering,” the statement read.