Aliyu Mohammed Gusau
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant General Aliyu Mohammed Gusau is a former Nigeria
n army officer who was appointed National Security Advisor by President Goodluck Jonathan
on 8 March 2010. He held the same position during most of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidency. Before that he was in military Intelligence, and was briefly Army Chief.
He resigned in September 2010, handing over to his deputy Kayode Are
.
, Zamfara State
.
The army added his birthplace to his name, making "Aliyu Mohammed Gusau", to distinguish him from another General Aliyu Mohammed. Although Aliyu does not himself use "Gusau" in his name, it has been widely adopted by the media.
He was Commander of 9 Infantry brigade, Abeokuta (April 1976 - July 1978), Adjutant General of 2 Mechanised Division (July 1978 - September 1979) and Director of Personnel Services, Army Headquarters (October 1979 - November 1979).
From November 1979 to December 1983 Aliyu was Director of Military Intelligence (DMI).
He played an important role in the coup that ousted President Shehu Shagari
on 31 December 1983 and brought General Muhammadu Buhari
to power.
Following the coup he was proposed as overall head of Intelligence, with the support of Chief of Army Staff Ibrahim Babangida
, but the appointment was opposed by Buhari.
Buhari confirmed Shagari's appointee Muhammadu Lawal Rafindadi as director of the National Security Organization (NSO), and dismissed Aliyu from the DMI, replacing him with Colonel Halilu Akilu.
Aliyu was sent on a training course course at the Royal College of Defence Studies in Britain.
In the lead-up, due to the influence he had acquired as DMI, Aliyu was placed under intense surveillance and in turn placed pressure on the coup leaders to act swiftly.
After the coup, Aliyu was appointed Director of the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) and Acting Director-General of the NSO from September 1985 to August 1986, then Coordinator on National Security from August 1986 to December 1989.
He reorganized the security and intelligence apparatuses, which had fallen in disarray under Rafindadi during the Buhari regime, breaking up the NSO into three organizations: State Security Services (SSS), National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI).
Aliyu was appointed General Officer Commanding 2 Mechanised Division, Ibadan (December 1989 - August 1990) and Chief of Administration, Defence Headquarters, Lagos (August 1990 to February 1992).
He was Commandant of the Nigerian Defence Academy
, Kaduna
from February 1992 to January 1993.
Aliyu became National Security Advisor in January 1993, and was promoted to Army chief when Babangida passed control to the short-lived civilian government of the Nigerian Third Republic
in August 1993.
Once General Sani Abacha
had consolidated power in November 1993 he replaced Aliyu by Chris Alli
as chief of army staff.
Retiring from the army, Aliyu became Chairman & Chief Executive of Alpha Public Affairs Consultancy from December 1993 until recalled as NSA by the newly elected President Olusegun Obasanjo in May 1999.
Aliyu was the National Security Advisor in the crucial period when former political office holders in the armed forces were retired in June 1999, helping Obasanjo assume control of the armed forces as a civilian President.
He remained National Security Advisor during most of Obasanjo's presidency.
He left office to compete in the 2006 People's Democratic Party
(PDP) primaries for presidential candidate, coming third. The winner, Umaru Yar'Adua, went on to be elected President.
On 8 March 2010, Acting President Goodluck Jonathan
announced that he was removing Major-General Sarki Mukhtar as National Security Adviser and replacing him with Aliyu.
A few days later, Aliyu met with the service chiefs in Abuja to discuss the Jos crisis and the security situation in the country. There were rumors that a review of senior army and police assignments could be underway.
Speaking at a seminar in April 2010, Aliyu said the legal system seemed to promote crime and the law enforcement agencies appeared overwhelmed. He also said that efforts to fight corruption were perceived as selective and ineffective, and some of the agencies had credibility problems since their leaders had been accursed of corruption.
In April 2010 it was announced that Aliyu would seek nomination to be a candidate in the 2011 Presidential elections.
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
n army officer who was appointed National Security Advisor by President Goodluck Jonathan
Goodluck Jonathan
Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan, GCFR, BNER, GCON is the 14th Head of State and current President of Nigeria.He was Governor of Bayelsa State from 9 December 2005 to 28 May 2007, and was sworn in as Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on 29 May 2007. Jonathan is a member of the...
on 8 March 2010. He held the same position during most of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidency. Before that he was in military Intelligence, and was briefly Army Chief.
He resigned in September 2010, handing over to his deputy Kayode Are
Kayode Are
Kayode Are was Director General of the Nigerian State Security Service throughout the two terms of President Olusegun Obasanjo . He was replaced by Afakiriya Gadzama in 2007 by President Umaru Yar'Adua.-Director General of the SSS:...
.
Early career
Aliyu Mohammed was born on 18 May 1943 in GusauGusau
Gusau is a city and Local Government Area located in northwestern Nigeria. It is the capital of Zamfara State.The LGA has an area of 3,364 km² and a population of 383,162 at the 2006 census.The postal code of the area is 880.-Geography:...
, Zamfara State
Zamfara State
Zamfara State is a state in northwestern Nigeria. Its capital is Gusau and its Governor is Abdul'aziz Abubakar Yari, a member of the All Nigeria Peoples Party . Until 1996 the area was part of Sokoto State....
.
The army added his birthplace to his name, making "Aliyu Mohammed Gusau", to distinguish him from another General Aliyu Mohammed. Although Aliyu does not himself use "Gusau" in his name, it has been widely adopted by the media.
He was Commander of 9 Infantry brigade, Abeokuta (April 1976 - July 1978), Adjutant General of 2 Mechanised Division (July 1978 - September 1979) and Director of Personnel Services, Army Headquarters (October 1979 - November 1979).
From November 1979 to December 1983 Aliyu was Director of Military Intelligence (DMI).
He played an important role in the coup that ousted President Shehu Shagari
Shehu Shagari
Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari, Turakin Sakkwato served as the President of Nigeria's Second Republic , after the handover of power by General Olusegun Obasanjo's military government....
on 31 December 1983 and brought General Muhammadu Buhari
Muhammadu Buhari
Muhammadu Buhari was a military ruler of Nigeria and an unsuccessful candidate for president in the 2003, 2007 and 2011 presidential elections...
to power.
Following the coup he was proposed as overall head of Intelligence, with the support of Chief of Army Staff Ibrahim Babangida
Ibrahim Babangida
General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida CFR DSS mni , popularly known as IBB, was a Nigerian Army officer and military ruler of Nigeria...
, but the appointment was opposed by Buhari.
Buhari confirmed Shagari's appointee Muhammadu Lawal Rafindadi as director of the National Security Organization (NSO), and dismissed Aliyu from the DMI, replacing him with Colonel Halilu Akilu.
Aliyu was sent on a training course course at the Royal College of Defence Studies in Britain.
Babangida and Abacha years
Aliyu was a player in the coup of 27 August 1985, when Babangida replaced Buhari.In the lead-up, due to the influence he had acquired as DMI, Aliyu was placed under intense surveillance and in turn placed pressure on the coup leaders to act swiftly.
After the coup, Aliyu was appointed Director of the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) and Acting Director-General of the NSO from September 1985 to August 1986, then Coordinator on National Security from August 1986 to December 1989.
He reorganized the security and intelligence apparatuses, which had fallen in disarray under Rafindadi during the Buhari regime, breaking up the NSO into three organizations: State Security Services (SSS), National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI).
Aliyu was appointed General Officer Commanding 2 Mechanised Division, Ibadan (December 1989 - August 1990) and Chief of Administration, Defence Headquarters, Lagos (August 1990 to February 1992).
He was Commandant of the Nigerian Defence Academy
Nigerian Defence Academy
The Nigerian Defence Academy at Kaduna is the only Military University in Nigeria.The NDA was established in January 1964 as a reformation of the British run Royal Military Forces Training College , which had been renamed the Nigerian Military Training College on independence...
, Kaduna
Kaduna
Kaduna is the state capital of Kaduna State in north-central Nigeria. The city, located on the Kaduna River, is a trade center and a major transportation hub for the surrounding agricultural areas with its rail and road junction. The population of Kaduna is at 760,084 as of the 2006 Nigerian census...
from February 1992 to January 1993.
Aliyu became National Security Advisor in January 1993, and was promoted to Army chief when Babangida passed control to the short-lived civilian government of the Nigerian Third Republic
Nigerian Third Republic
The Third Republic was the planned republican government of Nigeria in 1993 which was to be governed by the Third Republican constitution.- Founding :...
in August 1993.
Once General Sani Abacha
Sani Abacha
General Sani Abacha was a Nigerian military leader and politician. A Kanuri from Borno by tribe, he was born and brought up in Kano, Nigeria. He was the de facto President of Nigeria from 1993 to 1998....
had consolidated power in November 1993 he replaced Aliyu by Chris Alli
Chris Alli
Major General Mohammed Chris Alli was military governor of Plateau State from August 1985 to 1986 during the military regime of General Ibrahim Babangida...
as chief of army staff.
Retiring from the army, Aliyu became Chairman & Chief Executive of Alpha Public Affairs Consultancy from December 1993 until recalled as NSA by the newly elected President Olusegun Obasanjo in May 1999.
Fourth Republic
With wide influence in both civilian and military circles, Aliyu played a central role in ensuring that the transition to democracy in May 1999 went smoothly.Aliyu was the National Security Advisor in the crucial period when former political office holders in the armed forces were retired in June 1999, helping Obasanjo assume control of the armed forces as a civilian President.
He remained National Security Advisor during most of Obasanjo's presidency.
He left office to compete in the 2006 People's Democratic Party
People's Democratic Party (Nigeria)
The People's Democratic Party is a political party in Nigeria. Its policies generally lie towards the right wing of the political spectrum. It has won every single Presidential elections since 1999, namely: 1999, 2003, 2007, and 2011, and is the dominant party in the Fourth Republic.-History:In...
(PDP) primaries for presidential candidate, coming third. The winner, Umaru Yar'Adua, went on to be elected President.
On 8 March 2010, Acting President Goodluck Jonathan
Goodluck Jonathan
Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan, GCFR, BNER, GCON is the 14th Head of State and current President of Nigeria.He was Governor of Bayelsa State from 9 December 2005 to 28 May 2007, and was sworn in as Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on 29 May 2007. Jonathan is a member of the...
announced that he was removing Major-General Sarki Mukhtar as National Security Adviser and replacing him with Aliyu.
A few days later, Aliyu met with the service chiefs in Abuja to discuss the Jos crisis and the security situation in the country. There were rumors that a review of senior army and police assignments could be underway.
Speaking at a seminar in April 2010, Aliyu said the legal system seemed to promote crime and the law enforcement agencies appeared overwhelmed. He also said that efforts to fight corruption were perceived as selective and ineffective, and some of the agencies had credibility problems since their leaders had been accursed of corruption.
In April 2010 it was announced that Aliyu would seek nomination to be a candidate in the 2011 Presidential elections.