Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja

 The removal of Bashir Abubakar, the Chief Security Officer (CSO) to President Muhammadu Buhari, was not an act of witch-hunt, Sunday Sun has confirmed.

A reliably source told Sunday Sun that Abubakar was not removed from office because he was disrespectful to people nor became a cabal, saying that there was nothing unusual about his removal.

The source maintained that Abubakar proceeding on further studies was a regular routine for officers.

Abubakar was reported to have been removed as Buhari’s CSO and immediately replaced with Mr Idris Kazeem Ahmed.

Media reports also had it that Abubakar’s directive to proceed on strategic course was a face-saving measure, having become a one-man cabal that had become too powerful to the detriment of the interest of the Buhari’s administration.

The report also had it that former CSO was disrespectful to people, particularly, the Director-General of the DSS, Yusuf Bichi.

“It is a typical thing to know. One, he does not have any problem with whoever, so I can’t say it is witch-hunt.

“But normally, officers do go on courses. So, even if it is witch-hunt, naturally, one cannot see it as witch-hunt since it is normal for officers to go on course,” the source said.

The source also said that when the issue of the security of the Presidential Villa and the just concluded presidential campaigns are put into consideration, nobody can fault Abubakar’s performance. 

“You can see the improvement in the house (the Presidential Villa).  So, if he was rude to people, he couldn’t have gotten the cooperation of people when you consider what he achieved so far in terms of improving the security of the Presidential Villa itself.

“What he has done, I think you can’t say he has not done well. It is something when you look at the last outing, the presidential campaigns the president embarked on across the states, you can see for yourself, the security arrangements. I don’t even need to tell you that as well. You have seen it.  And likely enough, he finished without recording any incident,” the source added.