As preparations are in top gear to assume the mantle of leadership of the country on May 29, 2023, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, Nigeria’s President-elect, has made two first appointments. They are Lt. Col. Nurudeen Alowonle Yusuf, Aide- De-Camp (ADC), and ACP Usman Shugaba, Chief Personal Security Officer.
Lt. Col. Yusuf, who assumed duties on Monday, May 1, 2023, started working in the Presidential Villa since the days of former President Goodluck Jonathan and has garnered a wealth of experience in the area of intelligence, VIP protocol, and protection.
Yusuf has attended both academic and military courses to see him through the top of his military career in the Nigerian Army.
A peep into his Curriculum Vitae shows that after obtaining Ordinary National Diploma (OND) in Computer Science from Offa Polytechnic in the year 2000, he enrolled in the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna, where he bagged a Bachelor of Science in Engineering (Elect- Elect).
Col. Yusuf obtained a Master’s degree in Defence Studies from Kings College, London in 2018, and a postgraduate diploma in Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution from the National Open University (NOUN).
He attended the prestigious Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS) in the United Kingdom between 2004 and 2005, and in 2006, he attended the Nigerian Army Intelligence School in Lagos for training in intelligence and security matters.
Yusuf also attended the Young Officer’s Course Infantry, NASI, another course in Kaduna in 2007 where he trained in military skills in the use of weapon systems in infantry units and special operations.
He completed the Tactical Intelligence Officers and Security Investigations courses in 2008 and between 2009 and 2018, had several military trainings in Mali, Pakistan, China, Israel, and the United Kingdom.
The trainings also include Military Intelligence Basic Officers Course (Mali); Junior Staff Course (China); Officers Advanced Intelligence Course, SMI (Pakistan) Advanced Command and Staff Course (Shrivenham UK).
Yusuf recently completed another military course designed for Commanding Officers in Jaji, Kaduna, just as he attended Joint Information Course, Darfur, Sudan (2013); Humanitarian Recovery and Development Unit Course, Sudan (2013); Basic Counter Terrorism Training, Kontagora (2013); VIP Protection Leadership Training, Israel (2013); UN Military Observers Course, Egypt (2019); Joint Basic French Course (A1), Alliance Francais, Abuja (2019) and Joint Basic French Course (A2), Paris, France, among others.
Col. Yusuf speaks fluent Yoruba, Hausa, English, and French languages.
On the other hand, the new Chief Personal Security Officer to the President-Elect, ACP Usman Shugaba, until Tinubu’s appointment, was ADC to the First Lady, Hajia Aisha Buhari.
Shugaba also served at various times as ADC to M.D. Abubakar, former Inspector General of Police; late Governor of Nasarawa State, Aliyu Doma; and Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, among others.
Shugaba was born in 1982 and joined the Nigeria Police Force in 2002. He hails from Unguwan Mu’azu of Tudun Wada District in Kaduna South Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
He attended the Local Education Authority Primary School, Baptist Faki Road, Tudun Wada; Army Secondary School, Abacha Barracks, Abuja and Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa where he obtained a National Diploma in Crime Management and in 2017 bagged a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminology.
Usman Shugaba proceeded to Nigeria Police Academy on 15th August 2002 and passed out as Inspector in 2003. He has served in different capacities which include Nasarawa State Command as Inspector Crime ‘A’ Division, Lafia, for seven months; Inspector Surveillance for five months and Admin Officer of Area Command Office, Lafia.
Shugaba also participated in the peacekeeping mission in Liberia. He was posted back to Nasarawa State command and headed the Mararraba-Akunza Police Outpost for one year. Thereafter, he became in charge of patrol and Guard for Lafia town, among other capacity.