A retired Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), Dennis Amachree, has argued that the appointment of a Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Homeland Security has the potential to create tension within the “command and control” framework of the presidency.
While describing the development as departure from Nigeria’s traditional security architecture, the security consultant predicted possible high risk duplication of functions of the constitutionally-recognised Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), which is currently headed by Nuhu Ribadu, a retired Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG).
The Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OAGF) had, on Monday, announced the appointment of Maj-Gen. Adeyinka Famadewa (rtd) as the pioneer SA to the President on Homeland Security. “Mr Famadewa is a highly decorated retired general with over three decades of distinguished military and intelligence service spanning national security strategy, intelligence fusion, counter-terrorism operations, and international security diplomacy.
“His career reflects a rare blend of operational excellence, strategic foresight, and institutional leadership in safeguarding Nigeria’s territorial integrity and national interests,” the statement read in part. The retired senior officer has more than three decades of experience in military and intelligence service, covering national security strategy, counter-terrorism operations, intelligence coordination, and international security diplomacy.
However, reacting to the appointment in an exclusive message forwarded to New Telegraph from the United States, Amachree submitted that the creation of the Homeland Security office might imply that the existing ONSA structure has not achieved the much-anticipated inter-agency buy-in needed to contain the “domestic security slide”. “I see the appointment of Major General Adeyinka Famadewa (rtd) as the Special Adviser on Homeland Security as a significant departure from Nigeria’s traditional security architecture.
“I cannot help but recognise the structural tension this creates within the “command and control” framework of the Presidency”, the retired intelligence officer stated. He said the Office of the National Security Adviser, currently held by Ribadu, is historically the “clearinghouse” for all security matters—military, intelligence, and police. Accordingly: “By introducing a dedicated Homeland Security role, the Tinubu administration appears to be attempting a ‘functional carveout’ similar to the United States’ post-9/11 model”.
He continued: “In this new dispensation, the ONSA will traditionally focus on highlevel strategy, external threats, regional stability (ECOWAS/ Sahel), and the overall coordination of the NIA, DSS, and DIA. “The Homeland Security role will likely focus on domestic intelligence fusion, border security, and inter-agency coordination for internal threats like banditry and kidnapping.
“The risk of duplication is high, especially regarding the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force.” He warned: “If the lines of reporting aren’t surgically defined, we might see a ‘turf war’ over who chairs the joint intelligence briefings or who manages the Intelligence Fusion Centre (IFC), an entity General Famadewa himself helped establish during his time at ONSA.
“While some analysts view this as a subtle ‘no confidence’ vote on the current NSA’s ability to manage domestic crises, a more technical reading suggests it is an admission that the NSA’s plate is simply too full. “Creating a parallel advisory role suggests that the existing ONSA structure hasn’t achieved the level of inter-agency ‘buy-in’ required to stop the domestic security slide.
However, this appointment may signal a shift toward a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) model. “By having a ‘cerebral’ officer like Famadewa—who has literally written the book on Policing and National Security, the President may be looking for a specialist to fix the policemilitary interface that has long been a weak link. “General Famadewa is not a typical ‘political’ appointee. His focus on civil-security collaboration suggests that his mandate might be less about ‘hard’ military power and more about reforming internal policing frameworks.
“If he can successfully bridge the gap between the DSS’s intelligence and the Police’s enforcement, without stepping on the NSA’s toes, it could be a masterstroke. “However, in the Nigerian context, where ‘seniority’ and ‘access to the President’ are the ultimate currencies, the friction between these two offices will be the first thing to watch,” he concluded.
