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.