The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has approved a major shake-up in the Nigerian Army, appointing several senior officers to strategic command, staff, and instructional positions in a bid to enhance operational efficiency and strengthen leadership across formations.
According to a statement signed by the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Lieutenant Colonel Appolonia Anele, the new postings are aimed at reinvigorating command structures and repositioning the Army to effectively tackle contemporary and emerging security challenges.
Among the key appointments, Major General Bamidele Alabi has been redeployed to the Army Headquarters Department of Policy and Plans as Chief of Policy and Plans (Army), while Major General Jamal Abdulsalam moves to Defence Headquarters as Chief of Defence Operations. Major General Peter Mala has been appointed Commander, Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), and Major General Samson Jiya becomes Chief of Defence Accounts and Budget.
Other strategic appointments include Major General Mayirenso Saraso as Chief of Operations (Army), Major General Isa Abdullahi as Chief of Administration (Army), Major General Musa Etsu-Ndagi as Chief of Civil-Military Affairs, and Major General Abubakar Haruna as Commander, Nigerian Army Training Centre (NATRAC), Kontagora.
Read Also: Nigerian Army Nabs 28 Oil Thieves, Seizes 290,000 Litres of Illegal Fuel in Niger Delta
Major General Philip Ilodibia was appointed Chief of Defence Space Administration, while Major General Godwin Mutkut assumes the role of Corps Commander Infantry. Major General Umar Abubakar is now Commander, Nigerian Army Armour Corps; Major General John Adeyemo, Corps Commander Artillery; and Major General Mohammed Abdullahi, Corps Commander Signals.
Also appointed are Major General Taofik Sidick as Chief of Accounts and Budget (Army), Major General Abdullahi Ibrahim as Corps Commander Ordnance, Major General Adeyinka Adereti as Corps Commander Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, and Major General Nansak Shagaya as Corps Commander Supply and Transport. Brigadier General Yusha’u Ahmed will serve as Acting Corps Commander Education.
At the instructional level, Major General Oluyemi Olatoye has been appointed Commandant of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), while Major General Emmanuel Mustapha takes over the Nigerian Army Signal School. Major General Adamu Hassan will head the Nigerian Army School of Artillery, and Brigadier General John Bulus becomes Commandant of the Nigerian Army School of Finance and Accounts.
For field commands, Major General Saidu Audu has been appointed Force Commander, Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF), N’Djamena; Major General Warrah Idris, Commander, Joint Task Force North West (Operation FANSAN YAMMA); and Major General Oluremi Fadairo, General Officer Commanding 82 Division and Commander, Joint Task Force South East (Operation UDO KA).
In the area of defence communication, Major General Olatokumbo Bello has been appointed Director, Defence Media Operations, while Brigadier General Samaila Uba is now Director, Defence Information.
Lieutenant General Shaibu charged the newly appointed officers to demonstrate professionalism, discipline, and commitment in their new roles. He urged them to sustain operational momentum, strengthen interagency cooperation, and uphold the Army’s core values of loyalty, selfless service, integrity, and excellence.
