The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Major General Taoreed Lagbaja, has authorized the appointment and redeployment of several Senior officers at the rank of Major Generals and Brigadier Generals across Nigerian Army formations and units nationwide. This information was conveyed in a statement released in Abuja by Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, the Director of Army Public Relations.

The statement clarified that this fresh exercise is part of the ongoing efforts by the Army Chief to restructure the Nigerian Army (NA) for improved administrative and operational efficiency since assuming command. It outlined that the affected personnel include Principal Staff Officers (PSOs) from the Defence and Army Headquarters, Corps Commanders, Commandants of Nigerian Army Training Institutions, Brigade Commanders, Commanding Officers, and others.

Among the newly appointed General Officers Commanding (GOCs) are Major General VU Okoro, who has been transferred from the Department of Army Operations to Headquarters 2 Division as the new GOC; Major General HT Dada, moved from the Defence Intelligence Agency to Headquarters 82 Division as the GOC; Major General MT Usman, redeployed to 81 Division as GOC from HQ 2 Division; and Major General KA Isoni, who assumes the role of Commander at Army Headquarters Garrison. Additionally, 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 newly appointed Corps Commanders include Major General GO Adesina, who has been redeployed from Defence Headquarters to Headquarters Nigerian Army Signals Corps as the Corps Commander; Major General OO Oluyede, moved from the Office of the COAS Directorate of Inspection and Compliance to Headquarters Infantry Corps as Corps Commander; and Major General HG Tafida, who has been redeployed from DICON to Headquarters Nigerian Army Electrical and Mechanical Engineers as the new Corps Commander. Furthermore, Major General EL Ugwuoke is appointed as the Corps Commander of Nigerian Army Ordinance Corps, and Brigadier General SI Musa becomes the Acting Director of Legal Service. Brigadier General ND Shagaya has been appointed as the Commandant of Nigerian Army School of Supply and Transport.

In terms of redeployed Defence and Army Headquarters Principal Staff Officers, Major General EV Onumajuru has moved from the Department of Special Services and Programmes (Army) to Defence Headquarters and assumed the role of Chief of Defence Operations; Major General ES Buba has been transferred from the Defence Intelligence Agency to Defence Headquarters and appointed as the Director of Defence Media Operations; Major General OR Aiyenigba has been moved from Headquarters Nigerian Army Corps of Military Police to become the Chief of Army Standards and Evaluation; and Major General OJ Akpor is now the Chief of Administration (Army).

The statement further listed other senior officers who have been affected by the redeployments, including Major General HT Wesley, Major General Y Yahaya, Major General IM Jallo, Major General EA Anaryu, Brigadier General NJ Edet, and Brigadier General JIB Manjang, among others.

It is important to note that these redeployments are a routine part of the Army’s operations, especially following recent retirements of senior officers due to the appointment of new Army leadership. The redeployments will take effect immediately.

The reassignments are aimed at optimizing the Nigerian Army’s structure and ensuring effective leadership in various positions to enhance operational readiness and efficiency.