The newly appointed Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu, on Thursday, effected a major reshuffle, posting and appointing senior officers to command, staff, and training positions across the Nigerian Army.
A statement by the acting Director, Army Public Relations, Lt. Col. Appolonia Anele, on Thursday, said the redeployments were intended to strengthen leadership, improve command efficiency, and enhance ongoing operations.
The shake-up comes shortly after President Bola Tinubu decorated the Chief of Army Staff, along with the other service chiefs, at the State House in Abuja.
The army spokesman said the deployment and appointments announced on Thursday were with immediate effect.
She announced that Maj. Gen. Bamidele Alabi had been appointed the Chief of Policy and Plans at the Army Headquarters, Maj. Gen. Jamal Abdulsalam moved to the Defence Headquarters as the Chief of Defence Operations, while Maj. Gen. Peter Mala was posted to Training and Doctrine Command as Commander.
The statement added, “In the same vein, Maj. Gen. Samson Jiya, from the Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre to the Defence Headquarters Department of Defence Accounts and Budget as Chief of Defence Accounts and Budget.
“Other strategic appointments include Maj. Gen. Mayirenso Saraso from NAHFC to the Army Headquarters Department of Operations, as Chief of Operations (Army); Maj. Gen. Isa Abdullahi from the Defence Headquarters to the Army Headquarters Department of Administration as Chief of Administration (Army); Maj. Gen. Musa Etsu-Ndagi from the Army Headquarters to the Department of Training to the Army Headquarters Department of Civil-Military Affairs, as Chief of Civil-Military Affairs.
“Major General Abubakar Haruna from NAHFC to Nigerian Army Training Centre Kontagora as Commander and Major General Philip Ilodibia from Army Headquarters Department of Policy and Plans to Defence Space Administration as Chief of Defence Space Administration, “the statement partly read.
In other postings, Maj. Gen. Godwin Mutkut is now Corps Commander, Infantry, Maj. Gen. Umar Abubakar becomes Commander Armour Corps, Maj. Gen. John Adeyemo takes over as Corps Commander Artillery, and Maj. Gen. Mohammed Abdullahi becomes Corps Commander Signals.
Maj. Gen. Taofik Sidick has been named Chief of Accounts and Budget (Army). Maj. Gen. Abdullahi Ibrahim is now Corps Commander Ordnance, Major General Adeyinka Adereti becomes Corps Commander Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, and Major General Nansak Shagaya takes over as Corps Commander Supply and Transport. Brigadier General Yusha’u Ahmed becomes Acting Corps Commander, Education.
For training institutions, Major General Oluyemi Olatoye has been appointed Commandant of the Nigerian Defence Academy, while Major General Emmanuel Mustapha, Major General Adamu Hassan, and Brigadier General John Bulus have been appointed Commandants of the Nigerian Army Signal School, Nigerian Army School of Artillery, and Nigerian Army School of Finance and Accounts, respectively.
New field commanders include Major General Saidu Audu, now Force Commander, Multi-National Joint Task Force in N’Djamena; Major General Warrah Idris, Commander of Joint Task Force North West, Operation FANSAN YAMMA; and Major General Oluremi Fadairo, General Officer Commanding 82 Division and Commander, Joint Task Force South East, Operation UDO KA.
The COAS further appointed Major General Olatokumbo Bello as Director of Defence Media Operations, while Brigadier General Samaila Uba becomes Director of Defence Information. Both Bello and Uba are spokespersons for the Defence Headquarters.
Shaibu urged the officers to discharge their duties with professionalism and uphold the values of loyalty, selfless service, integrity, and excellence.
Crush terrorists – Tinubu
Earlier on Thursday, President Bola Tinubu charged the newly appointed service chiefs to deliver decisive victories against terrorism, banditry, and other security threats, saying Nigerians “expect results, not excuses.”
Tinubu gave the charge after decorating the new military heads with their ranks at a ceremony held inside the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The event came barely a week after the President reshuffled the Armed Forces, in what officials described as a move to “inject new direction” into the military amid renewed security concerns.
In the ceremony attended by Vice President Kashim Shettima, National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, federal lawmakers, ministers, and several governors, Tinubu said the time had come to end the violence that has plagued Nigeria since 2009.
Thursday’s ceremony, also witnessed by the new service chiefs’ families, saw the President, assisted by the wives of the service chiefs, decorating them with their new ranks.
Those decorated were Gen. Olufemi Oluyede (Chief of Defence Staff); Lt. Gen. Emmanuel Undiandeye (Chief of Defence Intelligence); Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu (Chief of Army Staff); Vice Admiral Idi Abbas (Chief of Naval Staff); and Air Marshal Sunday Aneke (Chief of Air Staff).
Tinubu stated, “We cannot allow the crisis that began in 2009 to persist any longer. Nigerians expect results, not excuses. I charge you, as the heads of our nation’s armed forces, to carry out your duties with patriotic zeal.
“Let us deploy technology where necessary and stay ahead of those who seek to threaten our peace.”
The President urged the service chiefs to act decisively against emerging armed groups operating in the North-Central, North-West, and parts of the South, warning against allowing “new snakes” to fester.
“Security threats are constantly evolving and mutating. We must be decisive and proactive. Let us smash the new snakes right at the head,” he said.
Tinubu praised the armed forces for restoring relative calm to previously besieged regions and rescuing kidnapped citizens, noting that the Federal Government remains committed to equipping them for the task ahead.
“Over the years, our military has remained steadfast in defending our nation’s territorial integrity, with many soldiers paying the supreme price for their service. Their sacrifices will not be in vain.
“We have restored peace to many areas previously under siege, rescued countless kidnapped citizens, and significantly diminished the capacity of terror groups.
“There were times when terrorists and armed marauders held significant portions of our land; this is no longer the case,” President Tinubu said.
He further urged synergy among the forces, stressing collaboration and intelligence sharing.
“I advise you to work together as a team. Compare notes, exchange information effectively, and follow up proactively to ensure a seamless process. Work with other security agencies and defeat this enemy once and for all. We need to clean them up, clear them out. I promise to provide all the support you need to get the job done,” Tinubu told the military chiefs.
Responding on behalf of the service chiefs, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, thanked the President for the confidence reposed in them and promised to “make Nigeria safer.”
Oluyede urged Nigerians to support the military in the campaign to safeguard Nigeria’s territorial integrity and rid the country of terrorism, banditry, and other criminal activities.
He also assured the President of their determination to keep the country safe.
“Security should be our business, but without the support of Nigerians, we can hardly achieve anything. I want to encourage Nigerians of all ethnicities to support us, and ultimately, we will make Nigeria a safer place. That’s our promise to you,” Oluyede said.
Thursday’s event marked the second major military reshuffle since Tinubu assumed office in May 2023.
The Presidency said the reshuffle was to reposition the country’s defence architecture amid persistent security challenges.
Present at the Thursday ceremony were the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, his deputy, Senator Barau Jibrin, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, and his deputy, Benjamin Kalu, the Senate Majority Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, and the Chairman of the Appropriation Committee, Senator Olamilekan Adeola.
Also present were the Governor of Kwara State, Abdulrahman Abdulrazak; Jigawa Governor, Umar Namadi; Lagos Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; and Ogun Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun.
Other dignitaries in attendance included the Head of the Civil Service, Esther Didi Walson-Jack; Chairmen of Defence Committees in the National Assembly, Senator Ahmad Lawan and Babajimi Benson; Minister of Defence, Badaru Abubakar; Minister of Finance, Wale Edun; Minister of Information, Muhammed Idris.
Service chiefs resume
The newly appointed service chiefs on Thursday assumed office in Abuja, pledging to adopt intelligence-driven operations, intensify the fight against insecurity, and prioritise personnel welfare across the Armed Forces.
At the Defence Headquarters, the CDS, Gen. Oluyede, said the nation’s security challenges require stronger collaboration among military, security, and intelligence agencies.
He listed terrorism, banditry, cybercrimes, and maritime threats as evolving issues demanding an intelligence-led response.
“We shall enhance intelligence-driven operations and deepen collaboration with other security and law enforcement agencies to restore and sustain peace and stability across the country,” Oluyede said during the handover ceremony from his predecessor, Gen. Christopher Musa.
He added that capacity-building, research, and technological innovation would be pursued to sharpen threat detection and improve operational foresight.
The CDS also placed heavy emphasis on troop welfare, noting that delayed compensation, low morale, and poor accommodation had long affected military efficiency.
“Under my leadership, the Defence Headquarters will continue to advocate improved welfare, housing, medical support, and training opportunities for personnel and their families,” he said.
At the Army Headquarters, the new Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Shaibu, vowed swift and decisive action against rising insecurity across the country, saying the current situation, causing fear, displacement, and economic hardship for citizens, was “unacceptable.”
“I will carefully and swiftly review the situation and deploy appropriate strategies to mitigate and ultimately defeat the threat,” Shaibu said.
He also assured President Tinubu that the Army would not disappoint the nation.
“I want to assure Mr. President and our Commander-in-Chief, as well as Nigerians, that we shall not disappoint the nation, “ he said.
He praised his predecessor for improvements in equipment procurement and infrastructure and promised to consolidate the gains, strengthen professionalism, and reinforce synergy with sister agencies.
The new Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, pledged loyalty to President Tinubu and commitment to prioritising welfare to boost operational efficiency.
“I promise to ensure that the welfare needs of all officers, airmen, airwomen, and their family members are promptly addressed to motivate them for improved productivity,” Aneke said.
He vowed to sustain ongoing operations against insurgency and other internal security threats and deepen inter-agency coordination, noting that “together, we will leave no stone unturned in improving the security situation of Nigeria.”
Similarly, at the Naval Headquarters, the new Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, pledged to intensify the fight against crude oil theft, illegal bunkering, sea robbery, and other maritime crimes threatening national economic stability.
“I am not unaware that our maritime environment remains threatened by a scourge of crude oil theft, sea robbery, illegal bunkering, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and drug trafficking. “These crimes not only undermine our national economy and energy security, but also threaten the livelihoods of our coastal communities and the economic stability and prosperity of our dear nation.
“To confront these challenges decisively, my tenure will be guided by a clear and actionable strategic approach, focusing on strengthening maritime security and combating illegalities, enhancing the operational capability of our fleet through aggressive fleet renewal and the use of technology, prioritising training and personnel welfare, as well as fostering inter-agency synergy, regional and international collaboration,” he said.
Abbas, who described his appointment as a privilege, assured that discipline, accountability and personnel welfare would guide his leadership.
President Tinubu last week appointed the new service chiefs as part of a sweeping shake-up in the Armed Forces.
Earlier on Thursday, the House of Representatives confirmed the appointment of the new Service Chiefs following the submission of the screening report by an ad hoc committee chaired by the member representing Ikorodu Federal Constituency, Babajimi Benson.
In a brief session presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, the House adopted the report of the Benson-led committee and confirmed the President’s nomination of the senior military officers.
When subjected to a voice vote, members voted unanimously in support of the recommendations of the Committee.
The Deputy Speaker thereafter congratulated the new service chiefs and charged them to deploy their years of experience and expertise to secure Nigerians and their property day and night.
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