ABUJA, Nigeria – The Chief of Army Staff, COAS, Major General Taoreed Lagbaja, has announced a significant reshuffling within the Nigerian Army, involving the appointment and redeployment of dozens of Major Generals and Brigadier Generals, as well as other senior officers.
This move, which takes effect from July 3, 2023, is aimed at ensuring administrative and operational efficiency in the Nigerian Army, NA, under the new leadership of Major General Lagbaja.
Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, the Director of Army Public Relations, highlighted in a statement on Friday, June 30, 2023, that the redeployment affects a wide spectrum of officers, including Principal Staff Officers, PSOs, of Defence and Army Headquarters, Corps Commanders, Commandants of NA Training Institutions, Brigade Commanders, Commanding Officers, among others.
Some notable appointments among the new General Officers Commanding (GOCs) include Major General VU Okoro, who moves from the Department of Army Operations to Headquarters 2 Division as the new GOC; Major General HT Dada, reassigned from the Defence Intelligence Agency to Headquarters 82 Division as the GOC; Major General MT Usman, who moves from HQ 2 Division to 81 Division as GOC; and Major General KA Isoni, appointed as the Commander of Army Headquarters Garrison.
Major General AE Abubakar has been redeployed from Headquarters 7 Division/Sector 1 OPHK to Headquarters 3 Division NA as GOC and Commander of Operation SAFE HAVEN.
The new Corps Commanders include Major General GO Adesina, reassigned from Defence Headquarters to Headquarters NA Signals Corps as Corps Commander; Major General OO Oluyede, from the Office of the COAS Directorate of Inspection and Compliance to Headquarters Infantry Corps as Corps Commander; and Major General HG Tafida, from DICON to Headquarters Nigerian Army Electrical and Mechanical Engineers as the new Corps Commander.
Brigadier General SI Musa has been appointed as the new Acting Director of Legal Service, while Brigadier General ND Shagaya is now the Commandant of the Nigerian Army School of Supply and Transport.
In the statement, Brigadier General Nwachukwu emphasized that redeployment within the Nigerian Army is a routine procedure, particularly in the light of the recent retirements of some senior officers and the appointment of new Army leadership.
This reshuffling is indicative of Major General Lagbaja’s commitment to revitalize the Nigerian Army’s organizational structure and is expected to bring about positive changes in operational efficiency and administration.
