President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday confirmed Hafsat Bakari’s appointment as the Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, pending her confirmation by the Senate.
Modibbo Tukur, who was fired by Tinubu in June 2023, is replaced by Bakari.
Ajuri Ngelale, Tinubu’s Special Advisor to the President (Media and Publicity), made the appointment public in a statement.
Bakari was characterised as a financial intelligence specialist and attorney with years of expertise in counterterrorism finance, financial intelligence, and anti-money laundering.
She held various positions at the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, including Deputy Director, Head of the General Services Unit, Head of the Strategy and Reorientation Unit, and Head of the Board Secretariat of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, prior to her appointment as Chief Executive Officer of the NFIU.
According to the statement, Tinubu –
“anticipates that Ms. Bakare will bring her wealth of experience and expertise to full discharge in this critical role, especially in view of his administration’s war against illicit financial flows and other sharp practices currently prevalent in segments of the nation’s foreign exchange markets”
cc: Punch Ng
