By Chuks Oyema-Aziken
The Nigerian Army has announced the establishment of four additional divisions and the appointment of General Officers Commanding (GOCs) to head the new formations as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s security architecture and enhance operational effectiveness across the federation.
The development followed the approval of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, for the expansion of the Army’s force structure to improve command and control, expand operational reach and boost the military’s capacity to tackle evolving security challenges nationwide.
Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Colonel Appolonia Anele, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, noting that the newly created divisions would commence operations upon attaining Initial Operational Capability (IOC), while measures were being implemented to ensure they achieve Full Operational Capability (FOC) in phases.
According to the statement, the reorganisation has resulted in a review of the divisional areas of responsibility across the country. Under the new arrangement, 1 Division Kaduna will oversee Kaduna, Kano, Katsina and Jigawa states, while 2 Division Ibadan will be responsible for Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo states.
Similarly, 3 Division Jos will cover Plateau, Bauchi and Gombe states, while the newly established 5 Division with headquarters in Makurdi will oversee Benue, Nasarawa and Kogi states.
The Army said 6 Division Port Harcourt will continue operations in Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states, while 7 Division Maiduguri will remain responsible for Borno and Yobe states. The 8 Division Sokoto will retain responsibility for Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states.
Under the new structure, the newly established 9 Division headquartered in Ilorin will cover Kwara and Niger states, while the 10 Division, headquartered in Jalingo, will be responsible for security operations in the border areas of Taraba and Adamawa states.
The Army further stated that 81 Division Lagos would continue to oversee Lagos and Ogun states, while 82 Division Enugu would retain responsibility for Enugu, Anambra, Abia, Ebonyi and Imo states. The newly established 83 Division with headquarters in Benin City will cover Edo, Delta and Bayelsa states upon activation later this year.
To provide leadership for the new formations, the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, approved the appointment of senior officers as General Officers Commanding.
Major General Yakubu Yahaya was redeployed from Headquarters Joint Task Force (North Central), Operation SAVANNA SHIELD, to Headquarters 9 Division, Ilorin, where he will serve as General Officer Commanding and Commander of Operation SAVANNA SHIELD.
Major General Chinedu Ralph Nnebeife was posted from Headquarters 2 Division/Sector 3 Joint Task Force, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, to Headquarters 10 Division, Jalingo, as General Officer Commanding, while Major General Moses Gara moved from Headquarters Joint Task Force Operation WHIRL STROKE to Headquarters 5 Division, Makurdi, where he will serve as both GOC and Commander of Operation WHIRL STROKE.
Also appointed is Major General Auwalu Mahmuda, who was redeployed from the Army Headquarters Directorate of Inspection and Compliance to Headquarters 2 Division, Ibadan, as General Officer Commanding.
The Army also activated three new brigades to strengthen the newly established divisions. Brigadier General A.O. Odubiyi was appointed Commander of the newly established 11 Brigade, Gboko, while Brigadier General A.M. Haruna will command the newly established 29 Brigade, Kainji. Brigadier General R.M. Aminu was appointed Commander of the newly established 10 Brigade, Lafia.
Shaibu congratulated the newly appointed commanders and charged them to provide visionary leadership, sustain operational momentum and uphold the highest standards of professionalism, discipline and mission effectiveness.
He reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s commitment to safeguarding the nation’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, protecting lives and property, and supporting efforts aimed at achieving lasting peace and security across the country.
The Army Chief also expressed appreciation to President Tinubu for his support toward expanding the Army’s operational capabilities, describing the creation of the new divisions as a historic milestone in the ongoing transformation of the Nigerian Army and a reflection of the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening the nation’s defence architecture.
He expressed confidence that the expanded force structure would enhance command and control, improve operational coordination, strengthen border security, facilitate rapid deployment of troops and resources, and improve the military’s ability to respond effectively to emerging security threats across the country.
