Former Somali intelligence chief Fahad Yasin recently published a self-congratulatory op-ed touting his tenure at NISA as a period of modernization and restored capability. While he expanded the agency’s reach, recruited more agents, and strengthened military intelligence units, critics argue these upgrades primarily served Villa Somalia’s political agenda rather than national security. NISA’s armed units, often loyal to Fahad, were deployed to intimidate opposition figures, seize control of key installations, and operate with impunity. Under his leadership, NISA controversially recruited ex-Al-Shabaab operatives without thorough vetting, integrated extremists into senior positions, and implemented questionable “counter-infiltration” strategies that failed to weaken the insurgency.