PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Major-General Adamu Garba Laka as the new National Coordinator of the National Counter-Terrorism Centre.
Laka is to serve in his new position under the Office of the National Security Adviser, the presidency said in a statement on Tuesday.
Presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, who signed the statement said General Laka served in various capacities in the North-East, Nigeria, where he deployed tactical means to degrade terrorist groups.
“He also served in Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo under the United Nations and was part of the Nigerian contingent in the US AFRICOM exercise in Senegal,” Ngelale said.
“He holds Master’s Degrees in National Security from the National Defence University, Pakistan, and in International Affairs and Strategic Studies, Nigerian Defence Academy.”
According to the presidential spokesman, his principal is optimistic that General Laka will bring his vast experience into this critical role to effectively remove security threats through pre-emptive, proactive, and diligent counter-terrorism coordination.
In the same vein, President Tinubu also approved the appointment of DIG Johnson Kokumo (retd.) as the new Coordinator of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons under the Office of the National Security Adviser.
Kokumo succeeds Major-General AM Dikko (retd.), whom former President Muhammadu Buhari appointed as the pioneer Coordinator on May 3, 2021.
Ajuri announced his appointment Tuesday in a different statement, titled ‘President Tinubu appoints new coordinator for the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons.’
Ngelale described Kokumo as a “seasoned and accomplished law enforcement professional with over 30 years of experience in crime prevention, management, analysis, and control.”
He was Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigations Department, Force Headquarters, Abuja, from 2022 to 2023.
