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PHOTOS: Chiefs of Defence Staff of Nigeria (1980 – Present)
Lieutenant General Ipoola Alani Akinrinade (1980–1981)
Akinrinade was appointed by President Shehu Shagari during the Second Republic. He was one of Nigeria’s most respected senior officers and helped stabilize civil–military relations after years of military rule.
Lieutenant General Gibson Sanda Jalo (1981–1983)
Jalo served under President Shehu Shagari and briefly after the 1983 coup that brought Major General Muhammadu Buhari to power.
General Domkat Yah Bali (1984–1990)
Appointed under General Muhammadu Buhari, Bali continued to serve during General Ibrahim Babangida’s regime. He was also the Minister of Defence and a key member of the Armed Forces Ruling Council.
General Sani Abacha (1990–1993)
Abacha became Chief of Defence Staff during Babangida’s rule and later seized power himself in November 1993, ruling as Nigeria’s Head of State until 1998.
Lieutenant General Oladipo Diya (1993–1997)
Diya served as Chief of Defence Staff and Chief of General Staff under General Sani Abacha. He was also Abacha’s de facto deputy until he was arrested for an alleged coup plot in 1997.
General Abdulsalami Abubakar (1997–1998)
Abubakar briefly served as CDS before succeeding Abacha as Head of State in June 1998. He oversaw Nigeria’s transition to democracy in 1999.
Air Marshal Al-Amin Musa Daggash (1998–1999)
The first and only Air Force officer to serve as CDS, Daggash served under General Abdulsalami Abubakar during the transition to the Fourth Republic.
Admiral Ibrahim Ogohi (1999–2003)
Appointed by President Olusegun Obasanjo, Ogohi was the first Navy officer to hold the position in democratic Nigeria.
General Alexander Ogomudia (2003–2006)
Ogomudia, a disciplined and strategic Army officer, also served under President Obasanjo during his second term in office.
General Martin Luther Agwai (2006–2007)
Agwai took over as CDS in the final months of Obasanjo’s administration and helped oversee a professional restructuring of the Armed Forces.
Air Chief Marshal Paul Dike (2008–2010)
Appointed by President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, Dike was another Air Force officer to hold the position, maintaining balance among service branches.
Air Chief Marshal Oluseyi Petinrin (2010–2012)
Petinrin served under President Goodluck Jonathan, continuing modernization reforms within the Nigerian Armed Forces.
Admiral Ola Sa’ad Ibrahim (2012–2014)
Ibrahim, a naval officer, succeeded Petinrin and served under President Jonathan, focusing on maritime security and counter-piracy operations.
Air Chief Marshal Alex Sabundu Badeh (2014–2015)
Badeh also served under President Jonathan, during the height of the Boko Haram insurgency. His tenure ended with the 2015 elections.
General Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin (2015–2021)
Appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari, Olonisakin was one of Nigeria’s longest-serving CDS, coordinating joint operations against insurgency and banditry.
General Lucky Eluonye Onyenuchea Irabor (2021–2023)
Irabor served under President Buhari and continued counter-insurgency efforts in the North-East and North-West.
General Christopher Gwabin Musa (2023–2025)
Appointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Musa is known for his calm leadership and strategic coordination in national defence and regional stability.
Lieutenant General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede (2025–Present)
Recently appointed by President Bola Tinubu, Oluyede took over from General Musa in October 2025. His tenure marks a continued effort to modernize Nigeria’s Armed Forces and promote inter-service cooperation.
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