Massive Shake-up In Nigerian Army Hierarchy

Following the declaration from President Muhammadu Buhari that Nigeria has taken the International Court of Justice ruling on Bakassi Peninsula in good faith; the Chief of Army Staff, Major-General Tukur Buratai has carried out a massive shake-up in the hierarchy of the Nigerian Army that affected 95 generals.

The shake-up in the army also included the appointment of new General Officers Commanding the Divisions of the Nigerian Army as well as new Principal Staff Officers to run the affairs of Army headquarters.

Also appointed were new Corps Commanders, Special Task Forces Commanders, a new Commander for the Multi-national Joint Task Force to tackle Boko Haram; new Brigade Commanders as well as new Defence Advisers in Nigeria’s foreign missions abroad.

Members of the court martial sit during the inauguration to try soldiers accused of mutiny tasked with fighting Boko Haram militants in Abuja on October 2, 2014. 

Nearly 100 soldiers tasked with fighting Boko Haram militants in Nigeria's far northeast appeared at a military court martial on Thursday, facing a range of charges including mutiny. The hearing comes just weeks after a tribunal sentenced 12 soldiers to death following their conviction for shooting at their commanding officer in the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, in May.

The new General Officers Commanding according to Vanguard’s investigations are Major General Adeniyi Oyebade, GOC ‘1’ Division, Kaduna. He was formerly the Deputy Commandant of the National Defence College, Abuja; Major-General L.C. Ilo is the new GOC 2 Division, Ibadan. He replaces Major-General SM Muazu who is appointed Commander, Infantry Corps, Jaji; Major-General H. Umaru is the new GOC 3 Armoured Division, Jos.

Others are Major-General MA Koleoso, new Commander, Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) Minna. He takes over from the new Chief of Defence Staff, Major General Olonishakin. He was formerly Director of Administration at Defence Headquarters; Major General H. Edet, new GOC 81 Division, Lagos. He was formerly the Commandant, Nigerian Army Training Centre (NATRAC), Kontagora; Brigadier-General Ibrahim Attahiru, formerly the Brigade Commander, 13 Brigade, Calabar is the Acting GOC, 82 Division, Enugu. He takes over from Major-General S. Yusuf who is redeployed to Defence Headquarters as Chief of Training and Operations.

Among the new Principal Staff Officers at the Army headquarters are Major-General F.O. Alli, formerly the GOC 3 Division, Jos, now the Chief of Training and Operations (CTOP) at Army Headquarters; Major-General  Ogunewe, formerly the Defence Adviser New York,  is the new Chief of Policy and Plans; Major General Christopher Jemitola is the new Commander, Corp of Signal Headquarters, Lagos;  Brigadier General A.T Hamman is the new Provost-Marshal, Nigerian Army; Brigadier General A.H. Sahad is the new Director of Defence Intelligence (DMI).

The new Commander of the Multi-national Joint Task Force with headquarters in N’Djamena, Chad is Major General Ilyasu Abbah. He was formerly the Military Secretary (Army). He takes over from the Chief of Army Staff, Major-General Tukur Buratai.

Major-General L.W. Wiwa, formerly the Director of Military Intelligence, is the Deputy Commandant at the Armed Forces Resettlement Centre, Oshodi; Major-General PAT Akem, formerly the Provost Marshall is the new Director of Administration at Army headquarters; Major General BT Ndiomu, formerly Commander, Army Headquarters Garrison, is posted to Jaji as Director, Simulation Centre; the new Commander of the Special Military Task Force (STF) Jos, is Major General C.O Udeh.