President Bola Tinubu has announced Major-General Adamu Garba Laka as the new National Coordinator of the National Counter-Terrorism Centre, which reports to the Office of the National Security Adviser.
Tinubu also named DIG Johnson Babatunde Kokumo (rtd) as the new Coordinator of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, which falls under the purview of the NSA Office.
Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity disclosed the two nominations in a statement made available to Reporters.
Gen. Garba Laka and DIG Kokumo each served the country in a different capacity.
“President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Major-General Adamu Garba Laka as the new National Coordinator of the National Counter-Terrorism Centre under the Office of the National Security Adviser.
“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.
“He holds Master’s Degrees in National Security from the National Defence University, Pakistan, and in International Affairs and Strategic Studies, Nigerian Defence Academy.
“The President anticipates 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”, the statement said.
A second statement, announcing DIG Kokumo’s appointment reads: “President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of DIG Johnson Babatunde Kokumo (rtd) 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.
“DIG Kokumo (rtd) is 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.
“The President expects that the new Coordinator will deploy his immense experience and expertise in efforts to revamp the Centre and evolve new strategies to bring lasting solutions to the menace of arms proliferation which is a significant driver of insecurity in the country.”
