The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Ibrahim Adamu Lamuwa, has been suspended following allegations of sexual harassment.
The Office of the Head of Service ordered his suspension, according to a high-ranking source within the ministry.
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Daily Sun reports that Lamuwa was directed to step down by the Office of the Head of Service and was given until last Friday to relinquish his position.
Benaoyagha Okoyen, the former Nigerian Ambassador to Cuba, assumed the role of acting head on Monday.
“If they don’t try to play politics based on where he is coming from, if the rules are properly applied, it is dismissal because it is gross misconduct,” the source stated.
Foreign Affairs Minister, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, formally complained to the Head of Service of the Federation, Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, about the allegations against Lamuwa.
The complaint stemmed from a petition filed by Mrs. Simisola Fajemirokun Ajayi, a married employee of the ministry, who reported the permanent secretary’s misconduct through her lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN).
In her petition, Mrs. Ajayi detailed the inappropriate behavior of Ambassador Lamuwa and urged Minister Tuggar to investigate the matter.
This led to the official suspension of Lamuwa as the investigation proceeds.
