BREAKING: New COAS Announces Major Shakeup in Army
The new Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, has approved the posting and appointment of senior officers to key command, staff and instructional positions across formations, units and training institutions of the Nigerian Army (NA).
A statement by the Army Public Relations Officer, Lt-Col. Appolonia Anele, said the move was aimed at reinvigorating leadership, strengthening command structures and repositioning the Nigerian Army for heightened operational effectiveness.
Among those appointed are Major General Olatokumbo Bello as the Director, Defence Media Operations (DDMO) and Brigadier General Samaila Uba from the Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC) Jaji to Defence Headquarters as Director, Defence Information (DDI).
Other newly appointed senior officers are Major General Bamidele Alabi, as Chief of Policy and Plans (Army), Major General Jamal Abdulsalam, formerly Chief of Special Services and Programmes now Chief of Defence Operations, and Major General Peter Mala from the Office of the National Security Adviser to Headquarters Training and Doctrine Command Nigerian Army (TRADOC) as Commander.
In the same vein, Major General Samson Jiya, Chief of Defence Accounts and Budget; Major General Mayirenso Saraso, Chief of Operations (Army); Major General Isa Abdullahi, Chief of Administration (Army); Major General Musa Etsu-Ndagi, Chief of Civil-Military Affairs; Major General Abubakar Haruna, Commander Nigerian Army Training Centre (NATRAC) Kontagora; and Major General Philip Ilodibia, Chief of Defence Space Administration.
Also appointed are Major General Godwin Mutkut, Corps Commander Infantry; Major General Umar Abubakar, Commander Armour Corps; Major General John Adeyemo, Corps Commander Artillery; and Major General Mohammed Abdullahi, Corps Commander Signals.
Additionally, Major General Taofik Sidick is now Chief of Accounts and Budget (Army); Major General Abdullahi Ibrahim, Corps Commander Ordnance; Major General Adeyinka Adereti, Headquarters Nigerian Army Electrical and Mechanical Engineers as Corps Commander; Major General Nansak Shagaya, Headquarters Nigerian Army Corps of Supply and Transport as Corps Commander Supply and Transport; and Brigadier General Yusha’u Ahmed, appointed Acting Corps Commander Education.
The COAS also approved the appointment of Major General Oluyemi Olatoye as Commandant, Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Kaduna; Major General Emmanuel Mustapha, Nigerian Army Signal School as Commandant; Major General Adamu Hassan from Nigerian Defence Section, Riyadh, to Nigerian Army School of Artillery as Commandant; and Brigadier General John Bulus from Headquarters Nigerian Army Finance Corps to Nigerian Army School of Finance and Accounts as Commandant.
Senior officers appointed as field commanders include, Major General Saidu Audu from Army Headquarters Department of Training to Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF), N’Djamena, as Force Commander, Major General Warrah Idris from Defence Headquarters to Joint Task Force North West Operation FANSAN YAMMA as Commander and Major General Oluremi Fadairo from Army Headquarters Department of Civil Military Affairs to 82 Division Nigerian Army, Enugu as General Officer Commanding and Commander Joint Task Force South East Operation UDO KA.
The Army Chief, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu charged the newly appointed senior officers to bring to bear their wealth of operational experience, administrative acumen and strategic foresight in driving a disciplined and combat-ready Army to decisively confront the contemporary and emerging security challenges.
He further urged them to sustain the current operational momentum, strengthen interagency collaboration and remain unwavering in upholding the Nigerian Army’s core ethos of loyalty, selfless service, integrity and excellence.
