The former Chief of Defence Staff and the two other service chiefs, who were retired from Service by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu yesterday, will each go home with one bulletproof SUV and one Prado Jeep, or an equivalent vehicle as a backup.
These vehicles are to be maintained by the respective Services and replaced every four years.
According to the new Harmonised Terms and Conditions of Service (HTACOS) 2024, signed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu — a copy of which was obtained by Sunday LEADERSHIP — the retired officers will also receive $20,000 per year for medical expenses.
The document, marked ‘Restricted’, also outlines the benefits due to retired generals and other senior officers of the Armed Forces upon leaving service.
President Bola Tinubu yesterday removed the service chiefs and appointed their replacements.
The statement announcing their removal, signed by Sunday Dare, the special adviser to the president on media and public communication, said the action was taken to further the federal government’s efforts to strengthen the national security architecture.
The President appointed former Army Chief, General Olufemi Oluyede, as the new Chief of Defence Staff, replacing General Christopher Musa. The new Chief of Army Staff is Major-General W. Shaibu, Air Vice Marshal S. K. Aneke becomes Chief of Air Staff, while Rear Admiral I. Abbas is the new Chief of Naval Staff.
The Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major-General E. A. P. Undiendeye, retains his position.
Those sacked alongside General Musa are the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar.
Each of the service chiefs is also entitled to five domestic workers, one security officer, nine standard guards, three service drivers, firearms, and other benefits.
“The following benefits shall be the entitlements of the CDS and Service Chiefs: one bulletproof SUV or equivalent vehicle, to be maintained by the Service and replaced every four years; one Prado Jeep or equivalent backup vehicle; retention of all military uniforms and accoutrements to be worn for appropriate ceremonies; five domestic aides (2 x Service cooks, 2 x stewards, and 1 x civilian gardener); one Aide-de-Camp/Security Officer; one Special Assistant (Lt/Capt or equivalent) or one personal assistant (WO or equivalent); standard guard (9 soldiers); three Service drivers; one Service orderly; escorts (to be provided by appropriate military units/formations as the need arises); retention of personal firearms (to be retrieved by the relevant Service upon the officer’s demise); and free medical cover in Nigeria and abroad.”
According to the document, Lieutenant-Generals and equivalents are entitled to the following: one Toyota Hilux vehicle and one Toyota Land Cruiser or equivalent Jeep of the same value; two cooks, two stewards, four residential guards, one Service orderly, two Service drivers, and free medical care in Nigeria and abroad up to the value of $20,000 per year.
Furthermore, retiring Major-Generals, Brigadier-Generals, or their equivalents will be entitled to: one Toyota Land Cruiser or equivalent vehicle, one cook, one steward, two residential guards, one Service orderly, one Service driver, and free medical cover in Nigeria and abroad up to $15,000 per annum.
Similarly, officers of one-star rank are to enjoy the following: one Toyota Camry or equivalent vehicle, one Service driver, two residential guards, one Service orderly, and free medical cover in Nigeria and abroad up to $10,000 per annum.
Federal Government to Spend More on Other Retiring Generals
Yesterday’s retirement of the service chiefs is expected to trigger voluntary and forced retirements within the military hierarchy, as some senior generals who are contemporaries of the outgoing service chiefs may have to proceed on retirement in line with military tradition.
The new service chiefs, who are members of Course 40 and 41 of the Nigerian Defence Academy, replace their predecessors from Course 39, including the new Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede.
By this appointment, generals from Courses 39, 40, and some from Course 41 across the Services will have to retire, as they are not expected to salute their juniors who have now been elevated above them.
LEADERSHIP Weekend earlier reported that members of Course 39 remain in active service, occupying strategic positions such as Principal Staff Officers (PSOs) at Service Headquarters and Commanders of tri-Service institutions.
Military sources, who initially said more than 50 such generals would have to voluntarily exit the Service to allow the new Service Chiefs to exercise effective control, now say the number could exceed that, since the new Chief of Army Staff is from Course 41.
“We will have more than 60 generals retiring. The new Army Chief is from Course 41. Those in service from Course 39 and even some from 41 will want to retire,” the source said.
With the retirement packages outlined above, the Federal Government will have to provide substantial funds to settle the retirees.
Senate May Confirm Nominations This Week
The Senate joint committee on Defence, Army and Navy is expected to commence the screening exercise of the newly-appointed service chiefs.
It is believed that the president would have written to the Senate at the weekend to intimate its leadership about the fresh appointments.
Their screening is expected to be done behind closed doors.
Expectedly, the nominees are expected to promise to tackle insecurity in the country.
Service Chiefs’ Change Strategic for Tinubu – Obono-Obla
Meanwhile, a former Chairman of the Special Presidential Investigative Panel on Recovery of Public Property (SPIP), Chief Okoi Obono-Obla, has described President Tinubu’s reshuffle of service chiefs as a strategic realignment aimed at entrenching deeper reforms as he moves towards completing his first four-year term.
The former special aassistant to the late ex-President Muhammadu Buhari on prosecution added that the change demonstrates a canny mastery of the push and pull of the country’s centripetal and centrifugal forces.
Obono-Obla said on Sunday that: “It reflects how he (Tinubu) has been able to navigate and manoeuvre through the complexities of governance. After settling into office, he engaged in midterm rumination — pondering and reflecting on the imperative of assembling a new team within the Armed Forces and security apparatuses.”
Obono-Obla explained that the move signals a strategic realignment and that it is time to assess performance in the military and security sectors.
“The shake-up and introduction of a new team — reinvigorated and with a fresh lease of life — aims to ensure that the security challenges which have grappled and confronted the country are dealt with decisively, using new gusto, fresh strategies, and dynamic trajectories.
“Mr President has also subtly used this opportunity to manoeuvre through the nuances and subtleties of the country’s fault lines, which have long dogged its progress.
In doing so, he has sought to balance geopolitical sensibilities and touch all potential flashpoints where cries of political marginalisation often emerge,” he said.
The Nigeria Immigration Service has released an updated step-by-step guide for Nigerians living abroad to renew their passports through its Contactless Passport Application System.
The Service announced the update in a post on its official X handle on Tuesday, encouraging Nigerians in the diaspora to take advantage of the digital platform.
According to the Service, the application process involves the following steps:
1. Visit the official NIS Passport Application portal. 2. Select Continue from the pop-up window. 3. Click Apply for Renewal/Re-issue. 4. Create an account and verify your identity using your National Identification Number and date of birth. 5. Complete the application form and choose your preferred processing embassy or high commission. 6. Upload the required documents. 7. Pay the passport fee for your selected booklet. 8. Obtain your Application ID and Reference Number. 9. Select the Contactless option under the Application Status/Book Appointment section. 10. Review the contactless instructions and click “I Understand and Opt In.” 11. Download the NIS Mobile App. 12. Log in or create a profile on the app. 13. Select Passport Application Services. 14. Click Passport Biometrics Enrolment, enter your Application ID and Reference Number, and check your eligibility. 15. Capture your facial image and fingerprints. 16. Complete the liveness verification. 17. Pay the contactless service fee. 18. Submit your biometrics.
The Service, however, noted that not all applicants would qualify for the contactless process.
“If response is INELIGIBLE, then it means applicant should return to the landing page of the portal to book physical appointment at the Embassy/High Commission,” it stated.
For applicants who successfully complete the contactless biometric enrolment, the NIS said additional documents must be forwarded to the selected processing mission.
“Upon successful completion of biometrics via Contactless App, applicant should print-out the Application form, passport booklet payment, biometric payment, current Passport and enclose all in a self-addressed return envelope to the processing embassy selected during the application process,” the Service said.
It added that applicants would be able to monitor the progress of their applications after submission.
“Applicant may track successful application two weeks after submission via https://track.immigration.gov.ng or on the NIS Mobile App,” the Service added.
A former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, has called for a judicial inquiry into the controversy surrounding the alleged fake Presidential Fiscal and Infrastructure Projects Council (PFIPC), arguing that the scandal points to deep institutional failures rather than a simple administrative error.
Speaking in an interview with ARISE NEWS on Monday, Lawal said the circumstances surrounding the alleged agency suggested the existence of a wider network that enabled it to function within government processes despite questions over its legal status.
He insisted that an administrative investigation alone would be insufficient. “I don’t think it should even be administrative alone; it should be a judicial inquiry”, the former SGF clearly stated.
Lawal questioned claims surrounding an alleged ₦27.5bn take-off grant reportedly linked to the agency, asking how such funds could have been approved and released if the organisation had no legal basis.
“Nigerians are talking about how N1.3bn was inserted into the budget. The man himself first said the quarrel came about because he refused to part with 48% of the 27-point-something billion Naira take-off grant. That money has been spent before this budget office was looking for the budget.
“Who gave him the money? It was not appropriated for; it’s not in any budget, that N27.5bn Naira for which he says somebody demanded 48%. Who gave him the money? How did the process of generating the request for the release come up? How did it go through?
“We are just talking about the tip of the iceberg here. Down there, before we got to here, N27.5bn had already been disbursed, according to him, as a take-off grant. How did that money get to him? It was not in the budget. So this is what should frighten us. If such money can go to a fictitious organisation, we only now begin to see it when we are quarrelling about how it got into the budget. How did that money get to them?”, Babachir queried.
The former SGF argued that the controversy only became public because of disagreements over the sharing of funds rather than because government oversight mechanisms functioned effectively.
He continued,… “So you see, that’s how we got to know this to start with. That is the reason why we got to know this on his side of the coin. It’s about the sharing of the N27.5bn. That’s why the thing came up. So it didn’t work. It should have worked before that money left the government coffers into the account of the agency.”
Lawal also alleged that the scandal reflected broader institutional weaknesses within the current administration, arguing that the Office of the SGF should have detected any irregularities before the matter progressed through official channels.
He maintained that the SGF’s office bears responsibility for identifying and flagging agencies without legal backing before their requests or budgets proceed through government.
He said, “It’s institutional compromise, because in this, I sense there’s quite a big racket going on somewhere along the line. If the agency was created by maybe one big man alone, and then he wants to go through the budget process, the budget office assigns the budget code according to the chart of accounts in GIFMIS. So, how did they manage to assign the budget code for this agency that does not exist? Who inserted it?
“Because first of all, the budget office issues a budget call circular to MDAs, and everybody starts to prepare his budget according to the budget line. They give you ceilings, and you prepare your budget and forward it to the budget office as an agency or ministry. Now, the Ministry of Budget and Planning would, in our time, call every MDA to come and defend its budget. Now, if you don’t exist, how did they recognise that you are a genuine entity? Who gave out the budget code and allowed their budget to pass?
“That’s what oversight is. The SGF should be able to know, because before it gets to the National Assembly, that budget goes through the SGF. Unless there’s a dereliction of duty by the SGF’s office, the responsibility to flag that this is a fake agency would have come from them.”
Lawal further criticised the National Assembly, accusing lawmakers of failing to thoroughly scrutinise budget proposals.
“It is a legislative oversight. This government—this National Assembly—has no interest in scrutinising the budget that comes before them. Most of the legislators just go in there to earn their salaries and collect allowances and go. They don’t scrutinise the budget line by line. We all know how this particular government works. There are some people that when they talk, nobody else has the authority to contravene.”
He also suggested that public attention should focus not only on the agency’s legal status but on the individuals who allegedly enabled its operations.
“Why are you interested in N27.5bn that had already been collected and spent? We are talking about an agency that we are claiming doesn’t exist. Maybe it exists, but it doesn’t have a legal framework for its existence. But it exists. And there are a lot of powerful people that make sure it exists in that form.
“Those are the people we need to expose. The Chief of Staff, in particular, is so powerful. The SGF is there, just reneging on his responsibilities. And nothing has happened now”, he concluded.
Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, ha threatened to initiate legal steps against Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, and demand N10 billion in damages over allegations linking him to murder, bribery and other criminal activities.
The move was conveyed in a letter dated July 6, 2026, signed by Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Kemi Pinheiro, on behalf of Pinheiro LP, the Chief of Staff’s legal representatives.
The dispute stems from a press conference held by Adeyemi on June 25, during which he accused Gbajabiamila of seeking a share of the alleged take-off funds of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), receiving money through intermediaries, abusing his office and participating in efforts to conceal wrongdoing.Death & Tragedy
During the briefing, Adeyemi also referred to the Chief of Staff as “a murderer” and “an assassin”.
The Presidency has consistently maintained that the PFIPC is a fictitious organisation, despite its appearance in the 2026 Appropriation Act.
Gbajabiamila’s lawyers dismissed all the allegations as entirely false and defamatory, saying they were intended to damage his reputation.
The letter stated: “not only false but gravely defamatory,” adding that the allegations were “designed to portray our client as corrupt, dishonest, criminally culpable, morally bankrupt, administratively incompetent, a murderer and unfit to occupy public office.”
According to the legal team, Adeyemi is already standing trial before the Federal High Court in Abuja in Charge No. FHC/ABJ/CR/652/2026, FRN v. Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew & Ors, over allegations including forgery of an appointment letter bearing Gbajabiamila’s purported signature and the alleged counterfeiting of Presidential letter-headed papers to present himself as a government official.Nigeria Investment Guide
The lawyers further rejected Adeyemi’s claims that Gbajabiamila demanded 48 per cent of a purported N27.4 billion take-off grant for the council, amounting to about N12.5 billion, or that he received N400 million through proxies connected to appointments within the organisation.
Other allegations dismissed in the letter included claims that the Chief of Staff intimidated individuals and media organisations, manipulated budget processes, attempted to misuse security agencies and performed official duties while under the influence of intoxicating substances.Trending News Feed
Gbajabiamila also denied ever having any relationship with Adeyemi.
“You have never at any time met, interacted with, communicated with, or had any form of personal or official dealing whatsoever with him,” the lawyers wrote, adding that the decision to “fabricate and publish allegations against a person with whom you have had absolutely no relationship or interaction underscores the reckless, baseless and malicious nature of your publication.”
The legal team also criticised the timing of the allegations, noting that they were made after criminal proceedings had already been instituted against Adeyemi.
“It is even more disturbing to our client that you resorted to defaming him through your press statements after a criminal Charge had been filed against you,” the letter stated.
It added, “Trial by media remains unknown to Nigerian law and cannot be a substitute for due process.”Nigeria Investment Guide
Gbajabiamila’s lawyers demanded that Adeyemi immediately stop making further defamatory statements, remove all related videos, recordings and transcripts from every platform, issue a full retraction and apology in at least five national newspapers and across all social media platforms used to circulate the claims, and provide a written undertaking that he would refrain from making further allegations.
The letter warned that failure to comply would result in both criminal defamation proceedings under the laws of the Federal Capital Territory and a civil lawsuit seeking N10 billion in aggravated and exemplary damages. The damages, it said, would be donated to a charity chosen by Gbajabiamila. The legal action would also seek a perpetual injunction and a court order compelling the publication of an apology.
The controversy centres on the PFIPC, which was listed in the 2026 Appropriation Act under the title Presidential Economic Advisory Council/Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council and received more than N1.3 billion in budgetary allocations, including about N803 million for personnel, N200 million for overhead and N300 million for capital expenditure.
Adeyemi had argued during his June 25 press conference that an agency included in a budget signed by the President could not be regarded as non-existent.
However, the Presidency insists the council is fraudulent and has no legal existence.
Meanwhile, human rights lawyer Femi Falana has argued that the Presidency lacks the constitutional authority to clear anyone involved in the dispute and has called for an independent investigation into the allegations against both Gbajabiamila and Adeyemi.
Adeyemi is scheduled to appear before the Federal High Court on July 27, 2026.
