Army Chief Redeploys Senior Officers To Strenghten Operations

Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, has approved the redeployment of senior officers to a key command, operational and staff appointments across the Nigerian Army (NA) to enhance effectiveness, strengthen leadership and align the Service’s command structure with Nigeria’s evolving security environment.

Among those affected in the exercise is the Theatre Commander, North East “Operation Hadin Kai”, Maj-Gen. A.E. Abubakar, who is redeployed to the Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre (NAHFC) as dean, Faculty of Operational Research and chairman of the Military Pension Board.

A statement by the Army spokesperson, Col. Appolonia Anele, said the shake-up prioritises critical operational theatres and strategic appointments to ensure the right leadership, experience, and expertise are positioned to deliver decisive effects.

In the new postings, Maj-Gen. I.A. Ajose moves from Army Headquarters (AHQ), Department of Army Operations, to Theatre Command Joint Task Force (JTF) North East, “Operation Hadin Kai” (OPHK).

Also, Maj-Gen. A.M. Alechenu moves from Defence Headquarters (DHQ) Garrison to the Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre, while Maj-Gen. R.T. Utsaha moves from AHQ Department of Army Standards and Evaluation to DHQ Garrison as commander.

Similarly, Maj-Gen. A.M. Umar leaves the AHQ Department of Civil-Military Affairs (DCMA) for Army War College Nigeria (AWCN) as commandant, while Maj- Gen. U.M. Alkali moves from AWCN to AHQ DCMA.
Maj-Gen. G.S. Muhammed moves from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) to the Nigerian Army Finance Corporation (NAFIC) as director-general, while Maj-Gen. J.E. Osifo leaves NAFIC for Military Pension Board (MPB) as chairman and Maj-Gen. I.E. Ekpenyong was redeployed to DHQ Department of Defence Logistics as director of Engineering Services.

Meanwhile at the operational level, Brigadier General AA Bello moves from 6 Division Garrison/Sector 3 JTF South-South, Operation DELTA SAFE, to DHQ Department of Defence Operations where as Brigadier General MS Adamu has been redeployed from Nigerian Army Women Command to the newly established 8 Brigade as Commander, while Brigadier General MS Sule moves from Special Task Force Operation ENDURING PEACE to 27 Task Force Brigade as Commander.

In the same vein, Brigadier General I Sule has been redeployed from the Directorate of Recruitment Management to 6 Division Garrison as Commander, while Brigadier General E Azenda moves from Land Forces Simulation Centre to 2 Division Garrison as Commander, and Brigadier General AS Bugaje moves from 2 Division Garrison to the Land Forces Simulation Centre as Director of Administration.

The Chief charged the newly appointed officers to justify the confidence reposed in them through exemplary leadership, operational innovation, professionalism, unwavering commitment to duty, and a relentless focus on the constitutional mandate of defending Nigeria’s sovereignty, protecting its territorial integrity, and supporting civil authority in maintaining peace and security.

He reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s commitment to sustaining a dynamic leadership and force-employment framework that enhances operational outcomes, strengthens joint and inter-agency coordination, and improves the Service’s capacity to respond decisively to contemporary and emerging threats in furtherance of Nigeria’s national security objectives.