Former President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, has openly claimed responsibility for facilitating the recruitment of two young men into the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), in a disclosure that has drawn attention to political influence in appointments into one of Nigeria’s most sensitive security institutions.
Lawan, who served as Senate President between 2019 and 2023 and currently represents Yobe North Senatorial District, made the disclosure in a statement issued after Tuesday’s Senate plenary.
According to the former Senate President, the two beneficiaries, Abdulsalam Shafiu Yaro and Abdullahi Sani Machina, paid him a courtesy visit following what he described as their successful recruitment into the DIA.
“I received two young men, Abdulsalam Shafiu Yaro and Abdullahi Sani Machina, following their recent successful recruitment, which I facilitated with the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA),” Lawan said.
He added that the duo was accompanied by Ibrahim Baba Ajiyabo, whom he described as a dedicated DIA officer who had been instrumental in guiding them into service.
Lawan said the appointments reflected his commitment to creating opportunities for youths from Yobe North, noting that seeing the excitement of the recruits reinforced his resolve to help more young people secure employment.
Describing the new recruits as “bright, disciplined and eager to serve our great nation,” he expressed pride that they had found careers in an agency responsible for protecting Nigeria’s territorial integrity.
NAIJAONPOINT gathered that Lawan’s comments are raising questions about political influence in recruitment into one of Nigeria’s most sensitive security and intelligence institutions.
According to established norms, recruitment into agencies such as the DIA is generally expected to follow established procedures involving merit, security vetting and operational requirements, making public claims by political office holders of having facilitated appointments a subject of public interest.
Sodiq Yusuf is a trained media practitioner and journalist with considerable years of experience in print, broadcast, and digital journalism. His interests cover a wide range of causes in politics, governance, sports, community development, and good governance.
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