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Profile Of Ambassadors Nominated For US, UK, France By President Tinubu

Published

6 months ago

November 27, 2025

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has nominated non-career ambassadors for three countries: the United States, the United Kingdom, and France.

It was reports that the postings will be finalised following Senate screening. The three nominees are Ambassador Ayodele Oke, Retired Colonel Lateef Kayode Are, and Ambassador Amin Mohammed Dalhatu.

Ambassador Amin Mohammed Dalhatu previously served as Nigeria’s ambassador to South Korea during President Buhari’s administration, having been first appointed in 2016.

Ambassador Ayodele Oke, an alumnus of Emory University in Atlanta, is a former Director General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and previously served as Nigeria’s ambassador to the Secretariat of the Commonwealth of Nations in London.

Retired Colonel Lateef Kayode Are was Director General of the State Security Service (SSS) from 1999 to 2007, served as National Security Adviser in 2010, and was an officer in the Directorate of Military Intelligence. He graduated with First Class Honours in Psychology from the University of Ibadan in 1980.

See profiles of the nominees below:

Lateef Kayode Are, Ambassador-designate.

Year of Birth: 1955
Status: Retired Nigerian Army Colonel & Former Director General, State Security Service

Education:
– Master’s Degree in International Law and Diplomacy
University of Lagos, Nigeria – 1987

– B.Sc. (First Class Honours) Psychology
University of Ibadan, Nigeria – 1980
(Best graduating student: University Senate Prize, Faculty of Social Sciences Prize, Department of Psychology Prize)

– Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Regular Combatant Course 12
Commissioned 2nd Lieutenant, Nigerian Army – December 1974
(Among top 10 cadets)

Military Career:

– Commissioned 2nd Lieutenant, Nigerian Army – 1974
– Intelligence Officer, Directorate of Military Intelligence
– Promoted to Colonel
– Compulsory retirement from Nigerian Army – 1993

Senior National Security Appointments:

Director General, State Security Service (SSS) May 1999 – August 2007
(Longest-serving DG SSS in Nigerian history; served under Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Umaru Yar’Adua)

Deputy National Security Adviser, Federal Republic of Nigeria
April 2010 – c. 2010/2011

Acting National Security Adviser
18 September 2010 – 4 October 2010
(Interim appointment following resignation of Gen. Aliyu Mohammed Gusau)

Professional Profile Summary:

Retired intelligence and national security expert with over 33 years of combined military and civilian intelligence service, including eight consecutive years as head of Nigeria’s domestic intelligence agency.

Amin Muhammad Dalhatu, Ambassador-Designate.

State of Origin: Jigawa State
Status: Career Diplomat & Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Nigeria

Professional Summary:

Seasoned Nigerian diplomat with extensive experience in international relations and bilateral diplomacy. Served as Ambassador to the Republic of Korea (South Korea), fostering economic, cultural, and political ties between Nigeria and host nations.

Key Appointments

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Korea (South Korea) Embassy of Nigeria, Seoul
c. 2017 – c. 2023

– Presented Letters of Credence in September 2017 under President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

– Oversaw diplomatic operations, consular services, and promotion of Nigeria-Korea relations, including trade, investment, and cultural exchanges.

– Hosted high-profile dignitaries, such as Reverend Mother Esther Abimbola Ajayi in 2019, highlighting Nigeria’s global cultural outreach.

Earlier Diplomatic Career

– Career diplomat in the Nigerian Foreign Service, with prior postings and roles in international diplomacy (specific details not publicly detailed).

– Contributed to Nigeria’s foreign policy implementation across various capacities within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

– Advanced diplomatic training and qualifications through the Nigerian Foreign Service (details not publicly available).

Ayodele Oke, Ambassador-designate.

State of Origin: Oyo State
Status: Retired Career Diplomat & Former Director General, National Intelligence Agency (NIA)

Professional Summary:

Distinguished career diplomat with over three decades of service in Nigeria’s foreign affairs and intelligence sectors. Expertise in international relations, multilateral diplomacy, and national security. Served as Nigeria’s top intelligence chief from 2013 to 2017, overseeing covert operations and foreign intelligence. Cleared of all allegations in 2023 following a six-year legal process.

Key Appointments

Director General, National Intelligence Agency (NIA) Federal Republic of Nigeria
November 2013 – October 2017

– Appointed by President Goodluck Jonathan; oversaw Nigeria’s external intelligence operations, including counter-terrorism and strategic intelligence gathering.

– Suspended in April 2017 by President Muhammadu Buhari pending investigation into recovered funds at a Lagos apartment (described as an operational safe house); fully dismissed in October 2017.

– Legal case terminated in June 2023 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) with no wrongdoing found; court proceedings withdrawn.

Ambassador to the Commonwealth Secretariat London, United Kingdom
c. 2005 – c. 2009.

– Represented Nigeria in multilateral engagements with the Commonwealth of Nations, advancing diplomatic, economic, and governance initiatives.

– Contributed to high-level policy dialogues and bilateral relations within the 56-member organization.

Director (Regions), National Intelligence Agency (NIA) Headquarters, Abuja

– Managed regional intelligence coordination and operations across Africa and beyond.

Earlier Diplomatic Career

– Joined the Nigerian Foreign Service as a career diplomat (entry date not publicly available).

– Served in various diplomatic postings and roles within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, focusing on international relations and consular affairs (specific details not extensively documented in public sources).

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News

11th Senate to consider six-year single term for president, governors – Lawmaker

Published

6 hours ago

June 9, 2026

Newsbreak365_Admin

Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, has disclosed plans to sponsor a bill seeking to introduce a single six-year tenure for presidents and governors after the 2027 general elections.

Bamidele said the proposed legislation would be among the first bills he intends to introduce when the next Senate is inaugurated, arguing that it would enable elected leaders to focus on governance rather than re-election campaigns.

Speaking during an interview with reporters in his office on Tuesday, the lawmaker said the current two-term arrangement often compels officeholders to devote a significant portion of their first term to political calculations and preparations for re-election.

“One of the first set of bills that I look forward to moving, by God’s grace, when we come back for the 11th Senate, God willing, is for a bill that will only make it possible for anyone who wants to be president of this country, or governor in any part of this country, to spend only one term of six years,” he said.

According to him, a single tenure would eliminate distractions associated with seeking a second term.

“So that you don’t even have to worry about wasting almost one and a half years of your first term thinking and struggling and looking forward to how you’ll be re-elected,” Bamidele said.

“If you know you are there for six years, only one tenure, you put in your best from day one. You know this is the only chance that you have.”

The Senate Leader acknowledged that the proposal may not enjoy universal support but maintained that lawmakers have a responsibility to initiate reforms they believe would strengthen governance.

“That’s my opinion. It doesn’t mean everybody will agree with me. But it also does not mean that I am prevented from doing that because that has not been the law,” he said.

Bamidele stressed that laws are meant to evolve in response to changing realities and public needs.

“The essence of law, the essence of parliament, is that laws are like human beings; they grow,” he added.

The proposal, if formally introduced and passed by the National Assembly, would require constitutional amendments before it can take effect.

Post Views: 24

News

Ibadan visitation: Nobody can stop me from going anywhere in Nigeria – Sheikh Gumi

Published

6 hours ago

June 9, 2026

Newsbreak365_Admin

Popular Islamic cleric, Sheikh Gumi Ahmad, has broken his silence on his visitation to Ibadan late last year, amidst outrage that he was trying to Islamise Oyo State with some Northern ideologies and tenets.

Gumi stressed that nobody can stop him from visiting anywhere in the country, while maintaining that he was not invited by any Muslim group or individual in the South-West.

In a post on his Facebook page on Tuesday, he said he was in Ibadan as a representative of northern Islamic scholars.

He made this known barely a day after one of the victims of the abduction in the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State dismissed claims that their abductors demanded the implementation of Sharia law in the state as part of the conditions for releasing the victims.

PUNCH Online reports that the principal of Community High School, Esiele, Oyo State, Mrs Rachael Alamu, while speaking from captivity in a now-viral video, said the gunmen said they never demanded the introduction of Sharia law or a N1 billion ransom as reported in some quarters, but rather for the release of their associates currently in the custody of Nigerian authorities.

Also, the Muslim Rights Concern rejected the alleged demand for Sharia in a statement issued on Monday, describing the report as “a lie from the pit of Jahannam (hell)”.

MURIC argued that the so-called demand was inserted by enemies of Islam in the negotiation team to tarnish the image of Islam.

However, aligning with the Islamic group’s position, Gumi wrote, “I quite understand now how Islamophobia is shaping politics in SW (South-West) and why I was unnecessarily dragged into their dirty local politics.

“I was in Ibadan, not by the invitation of any SW Muslim individual or group, but as a representative of the Coalition of Northern Muslim Ulama.

“Can anybody stop me from going anywhere in Nigeria?”

Recall that Gumi visited Ibadan on Wednesday, November 19, 2025, where he served as a special guest and speaker at the Southern Nigerian Ulama Summit.

The event took place at the University of Ibadan.

During his visit, he also attended a courtesy session alongside other prominent Southern and Northern Muslim scholars.

punch.ng

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News

Troops rescue six kidnap victims after clash with terrorists in Borno

Published

12 hours ago

June 9, 2026

Oluwagbenga Olaoye

Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have rescued six kidnap victims following a confrontation with terrorists along the Delwa–Komala road in Borno State.

The incident occurred at about 17:58 hours on June 6, 2026 when troops at Forward Operating Base Molai received intelligence that armed terrorists had intercepted and abducted civilians travelling along the route.

Troops were immediately mobilised on a fighting patrol to the location and reportedly made contact with the terrorists upon arrival in the general area.

According to the sources, the armed group abandoned the victims and fled into nearby bushes following the troops’ approach.

The victims were successfully rescued unharmed and comprised four adult males, one adult female and one minor.

They were said to have been secured and moved to a safer location for further assessment and necessary documentation.

The military noted that the general security situation in the theatre remains calm but unpredictable, adding that troops continue to maintain aggressive patrols and clearance operations across vulnerable areas.

It further stated that troops’ morale and operational effectiveness remain satisfactory as operations continue to deny terrorists freedom of action within the North-East theatre.

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Post Views: 23