Owoeye Azazi, the retired army general who was last night removed as national Security Adviser (NSA) by President Goodluck Jonathan, had threatened to resign at least on two occasions.

Disclosing this to Transport & Business Express this afternoon, a source close to Aso Rock, the Nigerian seat of power, said: “He was frustrated by President Jonathan’s practice of directly taking briefs from the heads of the various military and security agencies, which he felt undermined his authority and made his work difficult.”

The source said that President Jonathan on both occasions prevailed on Gen. Azazi to stay on and help stabilise his government.

“Unfortunately, he has been disgraced by a man he fondly referred to as his younger brother,’ the source further stated.

Both Jonathan and Azazi are Ijaws and from the oil-rich Bayelsa State in the Niger Delta.