L-R, Chief of Army Staff: Major General Waidi Shuaibu,Chief of Defence Staff, Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Idi Abbas and Air Vice Marshal Sunday Aneke
President Bola Tinubu has replaced Nigeria’s service chiefs and appointed new officers to strengthen the country’s security architecture.
According to presidential spokesperson Sunday Dare, Tinubu named General Olufemi Oluyede as Chief of Defence Staff, Major General Waidi Shuaibu as Chief of Army Staff, Air Vice Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke as Chief of Air Staff, and Rear Admiral Idi Abbas as Chief of Naval Staff.
General Olufemi Oluyede (Chief of Defence Staff)
Lieutenant General Oluyede, a member of the 39th Regular Course of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), is the new Chief of Defence Staff (CDS).
He was first appointed army chief after the death of his predecessor, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, in November 2024.
Before he was appointed Chief of Army Staff, Oluyede previously commanded the Infantry Corps, the army’s largest unit responsible for leading ground combat operations.
The 57-year-old officer from Ekiti State began his military career in 1992 as a Second Lieutenant.
He has held notable command positions, including Company Commander of the 177 Guards Battalion and Commandant of the Amphibious Training School.
Oluyede also participated in major peacekeeping operations under the ECOMOG Mission in Liberia during the 1990s, gaining extensive field experience in regional military cooperation.
Major General Waidi Shuaibu (Chief of Army Staff)
Major General Shuaibu succeeded Oluyede as the Chief of Army Staff after serving as the 14th Theatre Commander of Operation HADIN KAI in the North-East.
Under his leadership, troops refurbished and upgraded critical military hardware, including 10 VP-1 Type 89 APCs, five BMPs, three Steyr APCs, and six Camel MRAPs, preparing forces for the 2024 dry season operations.
The officer from Nasarawa State led the deep clearance operations into Sambisa Forest and the Tumbuktu Triangle in early 2024, targeting ISWAP and JAS strongholds. His Local Community Policing and Peace Enforcement initiative (LCPPE) strengthened trust between troops and civilians, improving intelligence sharing.
Between February 2024 and October 2025, he led operations that neutralised over 567 terrorists and resulted in the recovery of 492 weapons and 10,714 rounds of ammunition. Troops also confiscated 332 mobile phones, 54 communication radios, and disrupted insurgents’ networks.
Under Shuaibu’s command, the military rescued over 2,200 civilians from terrorist enclaves, executed 9,800 patrols, and launched nearly 1,000 offensive operations.
He also supervised Operation Desert Sanity III (Feb–June 2024), which enabled the release of more than 4,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Kukawa.
His team eliminated key terrorist leaders, including Tahir Baga and Abu Rijal, during counter-terrorism raids in 2024. In recognition of his leadership, Operation HADIN KAI received the Security Watch Award in December 2024.
Major General Abdulsalam Enesi Abubakar later succeeded Shuaibu as the 15th Theatre Commander of OPHK.
Air Vice Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke (Chief of Air Staff)
Air Vice Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, who succeeded Air Marshal Abubakar, was born February 20, 1972, in Makurdi, Benue State, and hails from Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State.
He attended Army Children School, NDA Kaduna, and later Government College Kaduna, where he completed his secondary education in 1987.
Aneke joined the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1988 as part of the 40th Regular Course and was commissioned as a pilot officer in 1993.
His academic qualifications include a B.Sc. in Physics, PGD in Management, Master’s in International Affairs and Diplomacy, Master’s in Political Economy and Development Studies, and a Master’s in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Air War College, Montgomery, Alabama.
His extensive military training includes Aeromechanical Engineering, Basic and Ab-initio Flying Courses, and both Junior and Senior Staff Courses at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji.
Aneke has flown aircraft models such as Air Beetle 18, Dornier 228, Falcon 900, Gulfstream V, Gulfstream 550, and Hawker 4000, accumulating over 4,359 flying hours and holding an Advanced Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL).
He served as commanding officer at Air Maritime Group, Benin, and Director of Policy at the Nigerian Air Force Headquarters. He also served with the United Nations Mission in Congo (MONUC) and was Deputy Commandant of the Nigerian Defence Academy before his appointment.
Married to Mrs Ngozi Enderline Aneke, he is a father of three sons — Chukwuebuka, Ifeanyichukwu, and Uchechukwu. His hobbies include flying, music, and movies.
Rear Admiral Idi Abbas (Chief of Naval Staff)
Rear Admiral Abbas, who succeeded Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, is a native of Tudun Maliki, Kano State.
He previously served as Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Central Naval Command and Director of Operations at Naval Headquarters. Abbas helped coordinate anti-crude oil theft operations and maritime patrols across the Niger Delta.
In June 2020, he commanded the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Victory, overseeing joint efforts against piracy and illegal bunkering.
Before he was appointed naval chief, he served as Chief of Naval Safety and Standards, following a reshuffle in June 2023. Abbas also served as a Senior Research Fellow at the Nigerian Army Heritage Centre, where he contributed to maritime strategy and policy studies.
The Governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Fintiri, has approved a review of the existing restriction on the operations of commercial tricycles, known as Keke NAPEP, in parts of the state for the 2026 Ramadan period.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Humwashi Wonosikou, on Friday.
The statement said the restriction, which previously ran from 10pm to 5am would now commence an hour later.
“Under the revised directive, the restriction which previously ran from 10pm to 5am will now commence from 11p to 5am daily throughout the 2026 Ramadan period.
“The review takes immediate effect,” the statement read.
The government explained that the adjustment was introduced to ease movement for Muslim faithful during the holy month.
“The adjustment is intended to allow Muslim faithful attend late-night tafsir sessions with ease during the holy month,” it added.
The statement recalled that the Adamawa State Government had, in February 2021, imposed restrictions on the movement of tricycles and motorcycles through the Adamawa State Restriction of Movement of Tricycles/Motorcycles Executive Order No. 1 of 2021, as part of measures to strengthen public safety and security.
It noted that the latest review reflects the administration’s effort to balance religious observance with security considerations.
“The present review is therefore informed by the Government’s commitment to supporting religious observance, while maintaining the gains recorded in peace and security across the state,” the statement said.
Fintiri also directed security agencies to intensify patrols across the affected local government areas.
“Governor Fintiri has accordingly directed security agencies to intensify patrols, particularly within Yola North, Yola South and Girei, through the deployment of additional personnel to safeguard lives and property.
“He warned that any breach of the law will be dealt with decisively,” the statement added.
The governor further appealed to residents to act responsibly and avoid actions that could undermine the peace and stability currently enjoyed in the state.
The Department of State Services (DSS) will on February 25 arraign former Gov. Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State on alleged cybercrime and breach of national security
LIB had earlier reported that the DSS on Monday, February 16, filed a three-count criminal charge against El-Rufai following his alleged involvement in wiretapping the telephone lines of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.
According to the court papers, El-Rufai was alleged to have, on Feb. 13, while appearing as a guest on Arise TV station’s Prime Time Programme in Abuja, “admitted during the interview that he and his cohorts unlawfully intercepted the phone communications of the NSA, Mr Ribadu.”
The offence is said to be contrary to and punishable under Section 12(1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024.
In count two, the ex-governor was alleged to have, on February 13, while appearing as a guest on Arise TV station’s Prime Time Programme in Abuja, stated during the interview that he knew and related with a certain individual who unlawfully intercepted the phone communications of the NSA, without reporting the said individual to relevant security agencies.
The offence is said to be contrary to and punishable under Section 27(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024.
Count three alleged that El-Rufai and others still at large, sometime in 2026, in Abuja, did use technical equipment or systems which compromised public safety and national security and instilled reasonable apprehension of insecurity among Nigerians by unlawfully intercepting the NSA’s phone communications.
The DSS said the ex-governor by his own comment during the live interview committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 131(2) Nigerian Communications Act 2003.”
The Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Malam Shehu Mohammed, has praised the Nigerian Army and Nigeria Police Force for their swift and decisive response during the recent attack on the Benin Toll Gate Unit Command Office.
The attack occurred on Thursday at the RS5.12 Benin Toll Gate Unit on the Benin–Lagos Expressway, following a crash involving two trucks, the statement said.
One truck driver died in the accident, while FRSC personnel sustained critical injuries, with one officer later succumbing despite urgent medical attention.
“In the aftermath of the crash, an angry mob besieged and vandalised the Unit Command formation. However, the prompt response by security agencies helped to restore order and prevent further escalation,” Mohammed said in a statement issued on Friday by the FRSC spokesman, Olusegun Ogungbemide, in Abuja.
The Corps Marshal condemned the attack on FRSC personnel and facilities as “deeply regrettable and unacceptable,” emphasising that the operatives were on lawful duty to save lives.
He also commiserated with the families of the deceased driver, the fallen officer, and the entire FRSC workforce.
Mohammed has ordered a comprehensive investigation into both the immediate and underlying causes of the crash and the circumstances that led to the mob action.
He assured the public that anyone found culpable would be brought to justice.
The FRSC boss reaffirmed the Corps’ commitment to ensuring safer roads for all Nigerians and called on the public to remain calm, law-abiding, and supportive of its activities.
