The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, has approved the redeployment of some senior officers of the Nigerian Army (NA) to various command, staff and instructional positions in a major shake-up in the Service.
A statement by the Director, Army Public Relations, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, said the development was a move to enhance operational effectiveness and administrative efficiency.
He said the redeployment involves Principal Staff Officers (PSOs) at the Army Headquarters (AHQ), General Officers Commanding (GOCs), Corps Commanders, Commandants of Army training institutions, Brigade Commanders and other key positions.
He said, “The reshufflement underscores Nigerian Army’s commitment to ensuring robust and dynamic leadership structure capable of addressing emerging security challenges.”
He named some of the senior officers appointed as PSOs at the Army Headquarters to include Maj Gen LA Fejokwu, from National Defence College to Department of Army Administration and appointed Chief of Administration (Army), Maj Gen GU Chibuisi, from Nigerian Army Resource Centre to Department of Civil-Military Affairs and appointed Chief of Civil-Military Affairs and Maj Gen AS Ndalolo, also from the Nigerian Army Resource Centre to Department of Army Training and appointed Chief of Training.
Maj Gen OS Abai, moves from Department of Army Training to Department of Army Transformation and Innovation as hief of Transformation and Innovation and Maj Gen JH Abdussalam moves from Headquarters 6 Division to the Department of Special Services and Programmes and appointed Chief of Special Services and Programmes.
In the same vein, Maj Gen EI Okoro has been redeployed from the Department of Army Logistics to the Department of Military Secretary and appointed Military Secretary (Army).
Senior officers appointed as General Officers Commanding (GOCs) include Maj Gen OT Olatoye from Nigerian Army School of Infantry to Headquarters 82 Division/Joint Task Force (JTF) South-East Operation UDO KA (OPUK) as GOC 82 Division/Commander JTF OPUK and Maj Gen EF Oyinlola from Department of Military Secretary to Headquarters 3 Division as GOC 3 Division/ Commander Operation SAFE HAVEN (OPSH).
The acting appointments of Maj Gen AGL Haruna as GOC 7 Division/Commander Sector 1 JTF North-East Operation HADIN KAI and Maj Gen IA Ajose as GOC 8 Division/Commander Sector 2 JTF North-West Operation FANSAN YANMA, among others, have been confirmed substantive in the recent redeployment.
Other senior officers redeployed are Maj Gen GO Adeshina from Headquarters Nigerian Army Signals to Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre and appointed Director General while Maj Gen GM Mutkut is posted from Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre to Headquarters Multi National Joint Task Force Njamena, Chad, as the Force Commander.
The redeployment also featured Maj Gen MC Kangye from Headquarters Nigerian Army Corps of Artillery to Defence Headquarters as the Director, Media Operations.
Senior officers appointed as Corps Commanders include Maj Gen OC Ajunwa from Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre to Headquarters Nigerian Army Armour Corps and appointed Commander, Maj Gen HT Wesley from the Department of Special Services and Programmes to Headquarters Nigerian Army Ordnance Corps, appointed Commander and Maj Gen TT Numbere from Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre to Headquarters Nigerian Army Engineers and appointed Commander. Others include Maj Gen NC Ugbo from Department of Civil-Military Affairs to Headquarters Nigerian Army Signals and appointed Commander, Maj Gen ZL Abubakar from Department of Army Transformation and Innovation to Headquarters Nigerian Army Corps of Artillery and appointed Commander and Maj Gen AP Oguntola from Nigerian Army College of Education Science and Technology to Headquarters Nigerian Army Education Corps and appointed Corps Commander.
Other senior officers also affected in the redeployment are Maj Gen JO Sokoya, who is appointed Commandant Nigerian Army Training Centre, Maj Gen UM Alkali is appointed Commandant Army War College Nigeria, while Maj Gen FS Etim moves from Department of Army Transformation and Innovation to Nigerian Army School of Infantry and appointed Commandant. Maj Gen AB Mohammed has been redeployed from the Department of Army Operations to Depot Nigerian Army and appointed commandant.
Other newly appointed senior officers are Maj Gen IE Ekpenyong, who is now Commandant, Nigerian Army School of Military Engineering and Maj Gen AO Adegbite is appointed Commandant, Nigerian Army School of Supply and Transport, while Brig Gen AM Umar was redeployed from Army War College Nigeria to Warrant Officers Academy and appointed Commandant, among others.