Yusuf Magaji Bichi

Bichi was born on 23 February 1956 in Hagagawa Qtrs of Bichi Local Government, Kano State.[1] Bichi attended Kano State College of Advanced Studies (1975 - 1977) and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (1977 - 1980) where he graduated with a Degree in Political Science.[2] He attended strategic training at the National Defence College, Abuja. obtaining a certificate with the authorization to use Fellow War College (FWC).[1]

Bichi began his career in the Security Division of the Cabinet Office in Kano State from 1981 to 1984, in 1984 he joined the defunct Nigerian Security Organization (NSO), the precursor of the present State Security Service, now renamed Department of State Services, where he rose to the rank of Director.[3] He serves as State Director of Security in Jigawa State (1998 - 1999), Niger State (2000 - 2003), Sokoto State (2003 - 2005) and Abia State (2005 - 2006).[1] Subsequently, he served as Director in the National Assembly Liaison (2006), Directorate of Security Enforcement (2007 - 2008), Directorate of Operations (2008 - 2009), Directorate of Intelligence (2009 - 2010), State Service Academy, Lagos (2010 - 2013), SSS Research Development Centre, Bauchi (2013 - 2014), Directorate of Inspection (2014 - 2015), Directorate of Administration and Finance (2015 - 2017).

In an exclusive report on September 29, 2020, Peoples Gazette reported lengthy details exposing nepotism and favourtism in the recruitment of personnel of the State Security Service led by Bichi, the report became known as the SSS recruitment scandal. The report cited many sources, including serving personnel of the agency, who gave figures of how Bichi neglected the official procedures for recruitment to favour individuals from his own local government area of Bichi in Kano State and the Northern region of Nigeria against the Southern region.[4][5]

Leaders across the Southern and Middle Belt regions of Nigeria criticised the process and threatened to sue Bichi and the State Security Service for it.[6][7]

He was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari on 14 September 2018,[8] replacing Matthew Seiyefa.[9]

After the 2019 presidential election, an election monitoring group known as the International Human Rights Commission, Geneva, Switzerland, honored Bichi, with an award. According to the group, “the award was in recognition of the exemplary performance by the Service and its personnel during the just concluded 2019 general elections.”[10]