The appointment and redeployment of senior officers, including Major Generals and Brigadier Generals, has been officially endorsed by the Chief of Army Staff, Major General Taoreed Lagbaja. These changes will be implemented across different formations and units nationwide.
Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, the Director of Army Public Relations, announced on Friday night that this development is aimed at revitalizing the service to enhance administrative and operational efficiency.
While stating that the redeployment was standard practice, Onyema Nwachukwu acknowledged that the shake-up was a result of the retirement of senior officers who chose to step down after the appointment of the Army Chief.
He words: ‘It is imperative to note that redeployment in the Nigerian Army is routine, particularly with the recent retirement of some senior officers as a result of the appointment of the new Army leadership. The redeployments take effect from July 3, 2023.’
According to Nwachukwu, those affected by the recent redeployment include Principal Staff Officers of Defence and Army Headquarters, Corps Commanders, Commandants of NA Training Institutions, Brigade Commanders, Commanding Officers, and several other personnel across different ranks and positions.
The newly appointed General Officers’ Commanding are Major General VU Okoro from the Department of Army Operations to Headquarters 2 Division as the new GOC; Maj Gen HT Dada from Defence Intelligence Agency to Headquarters 82 Division as the GOC; Maj Gen MT Usman redeployed to 81 Division as GOC from HQ 2 Division; and Maj Gen KA Isoni who will assume Command as the Commander Army Headquarters Garrison, while Maj Gen AE Abubakar is redeployed from Headquarters 7 Division / Sector 1 OPHK to Headquarters 3 Division NA as GOC and Commander Operation SAFE HAVEN.
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The just appointed Corps Commanders include Major General GO Adesina, who has been redeployed from Defence Headquarters to Headquarters NA Signals Corps and appointed Corps Commander; Maj Gen OO Oluyede from Office of the COAS Directorate of Inspection and Compliance to Headquarters Infantry Corps as Corps Commander; while Maj Gen HG Tafida has been redeployed from DICON to Headquarters Nigerian Army Electrical and Mechanical Engineers as the new Corps Commander.
Maj Gen EL Ugwuoke is assigned the role of Corps Commander Nigerian Army Ordinance Corps from AHQ Department of Logistics and Brig Gen SI Musa as the new Acting Director of Legal Service, while Brig Gen ND Shagaya is now the Commandant Nigerian Army School of Supply and Transport.
Notable redeployed Defence and Army Headquarters Principal Staff Officers are: Major General EV Onumajuru from the Department of Special Services and Programmes (Army) to Defence Headquarters and appointed Chief of Defence Operations; Maj Gen ES Buba from Defence Intelligence Agency to Defence Headquarters and appointed Director Defence Media Operations; Maj Gen OR Aiyenigba from Headquarters Nigerian Army Corps of Military Police and appointed Chief of Army Standards and Evaluation; Maj Gen OJ Akpor has been appointed Chief of Administration (Army).
Others include Maj Gen HT Wesley from TRADOC to Army Headquarters as Chief of Special Services and Programmes (Army), Maj Gen Y Yahaya from Defence Headquarters to Department of Personnel Management and appointed Chief of Personnel Management, while Maj Gen IM Jallo moves from Army Headquarters Department of Policy and Plans to Office of the COAS as Director Inspection and Compliance.
Several other senior officers affected by the redeployment are Maj Gen EA Anaryu from Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre to Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre and appointed Deputy Commandant, Brig Gen 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.