More than two years after Nigeria recalled all of its foreign envoys, President Bola Tinubu on Thursday authorised the deployment of three ambassador-designates to France, the United States, and the United Kingdom. The assignment includes Ambassador Amin Dalhatu of the United Kingdom, Colonel Lateef Are of the United States, and Ambassador Ayodele Oke of France.
This comes more than two years after Tinubu issued an order in September 2023 to recall all of Nigeria’s 109 overseas posts, including 11 consulates, 22 high commissions, and 76 embassies.
Since then, chargés d’affaires, or senior consular officers with limited ability to represent Nigeria in formal diplomatic negotiations, have been in charge of the majority of Nigeria’s missions.
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Here are key things to note about Lateef Are, Nigeria’s envoy to Washington
A top graduate of the Nigerian Defence Academy
In December 1974, Lateef Are completed Regular Course 12 at the Nigerian Defence Academy and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant.
After completing his training, he was assigned to the Nigerian Army Intelligence Corps as one of the top ten student officers.
Some of his course mates later rose to national prominence, including General Owoye Andrew Azazi, Colonel Sambo Dasuki and Admiral Ganiyu Adekeye.
Read Also: Tinubu Approves 4 Ambassadors to US, UK, France, and Turkey
A First-Class graduate from UI
Beyond his military training, Lateef Are distinguished himself academically.
He received the University Senate Prize, the Faculty of Social Sciences Prize, and the Department of Psychology Prize for being the top graduating student after earning a First Class Honours degree in psychology from the University of Ibadan in 1980.
In 1987, he graduated with a master’s degree in International Law and Diplomacy from the University of Lagos.
Former Director-General of the DSS
During his military career, Are collaborated closely with General Aliyu Gusau at the Directorate of Military Intelligence.
When Gusau was appointed National Security Advisor in 1999, he suggested Are to President Olusegun Obasanjo, who then appointed him Director-General of the State Security Service.
At the time, his nomination garnered public interest, with publications speculating that the selection may have been influenced by his Owu connections to Obasanjo.
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Former Deputy National Security Adviser
President Goodluck Jonathan appointed Are as Deputy National Security Adviser in April 2010. After Aliyu Gusau resigned as NSA, Are temporarily assumed the role of Acting National Security Adviser, but Jonathan later relieved him and named General Owoye Andrew Azazi as NSA, effective October 4, 2010.
Later controversy
After leaving office, Are re-entered the public eye in 2015 due to a disagreement with the State Security Service over his Ikoyi residence, which had been granted to him as a post-service benefit.
A disagreement with the State Security Service over his Ikoyi property, which had been given to him as a post-service reward, brought Lateef Are back into the public eye in 2015 after he left office.
He was later requested to leave the property by the SSS, a request that is being contested in court. Are told Premium Times at the time that, in defiance of the court order, the agents broke down doors, drove his family away, and tossed out their possessions.
Subsequently, a Federal High Court mandated that the SSS return Lateef Are and his family to their home while the lawsuit was being decided.
