Chuks Oyema-Aziken
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Major General Taoreed Lagbaja has approved the appointment and redeployment of Major Generals, and Brigadier Generals amongst several other senior officers across Nigerian Army formations and units in the country.
Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, Director, Army Public Relations, in a press release on Friday stated that the approval by the COAS is to rejig the Nigerian Army (NA) towards ensuring administrative and operational efficiency, after assuming command.
Those affected in the recent redeployment include some Principal Staff Officers (PSOs) of Defence and Army Headquarters, Corps Commanders, Commandants of Nigerian Army Training Institutions, Brigade Commanders, Commanding Officers and several others.
The press release said that “Major General VU Okoro from Department of Army Operations moves to Headquarters 2 Division as the new GOC, Major General HT Dada from Defence Intelligence Agency to Headquarters 82 Division as the GOC, Major General MT Usman redeployed to 81 Division as GOC from HQ 2 Division and Major Gen KA Isoni who will assume Command as the Commander Army Headquarters Garrison, while Major General AE Abubakar is redeployed from Headquarters 7 Division / Sector 1 OPHK to Headquarters 3 Division NA as GOC and Commander Operation SAFE HAVEN .”
The newly appointed Corps Commanders are; “Major General GO Adesina, who has been redeployed from Defence Headquarters to Headquarters Nigerian Army Signals Corps and appointed Corps Commander, Major General OO Oluyede from Office of the COAS Directorate of Inspection and Compliance to Headquarters Infantry Corps as Corps Commander, while Major General HG Tafida has been redeployed from DICON to Headquarters Nigerian Army Electrical and Mechanical Engineers as the new Corps Commander. Major General EL Ugwuoke is appointed Corps Commander Nigerian Army Ordinance Corps from AHQ Department of Logistics and Brigadier General SI Musa as the new Acting Director Legal Service, while Brigadier General ND Shagaya is now the Commandant Nigerian Army School of Supply and Transport.”
Among the newly redeployed Defence and Army Headquarters Principal Staff Officers are; “Major General EV Onumajuru from Department of Special Services and Programmes (Army) to Defence Headquarters and appointed Chief of Defence Operations, Major General ES Buba from Defence Intelligence Agency to Defence Headquarters and appointed Director Defence Media Operations, Major General OR Aiyenigba from Headquarters Nigerian Army Corps of Military Police and appointed Chief of Army Standards and Evaluation, Major General OJ Akpor has been appointed Chief of Administration (Army).
“Others are Major General HT Wesley from TRADOC to Army Headquarters as Chief of Special Services and Programmes (Army), Major General Y Yahaya from Defence Headquarters to Department of Personnel Management and appointed Chief of Personnel Management, while Major General IM Jallo moves from Army Headquarters Department of Policy and Plans to Office of the COAS as Director Inspection and Compliance.
“Other senior officers affected are Major General EA Anaryu from Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre to Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre and appointed Deputy Commandant, Brigadier General NJ Edet from Headquarters 9 Brigade to Headquarters 14 Brigade as the new commander, while Brig Gen JIB Manjang was redeployed from Army War College Nigeria to the Nigerian Army College of Logistic and Management and appointed Deputy Commandant among several others.”
The Nigerian Army has clarified that redeployment is routine, particularly with the recent retirement of some senior officers as a result of the appointment of the new Army leadership and the redeployments take effect from 3 July 2023.
