Shake Up in Army

BURATAI APPOINTS NEW GOC'S.

•As 12 SENIOR OFFICERS SENT TO ASCON, BADAGRY.

The Chief of Army Staff, Major General Tukur Buratai has appointed new General Officers Commanding the Divisions of the Nigerian Army and other new Principal Staff Officers to run the affairs of Nigerian Army Headquarters.

In what is seen as a massive shake up, Buratai also appointed new Corps Commanders, Special Task Forces Commanders, a new Commander for the Multi-national Joint Task Force to tackle Boko Haram, new Brigade Commanders as well as new Defence Advisers in Nigeria’s foreign missions abroad.

Maj Gen T Y Buratai, Chief of Army Staff

The new General Officers Commanding are Major General Adeniyi Oyebade, GOC ‘1’ Division, Kaduna. He was formerly the Deputy Commandant of the National Defence College, Abuja; Major General L.C. Ilo is the new GOS 2 Division, Ibadan. He replaces Major General SM Muazu who is appointed Commander, Infantry Corps, Jaji; Major General H. Umaru is the new GOC 3 Armoured Division, Jos.

Others are Major General M.A Koleoso, new Commander, Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) Minna. He takes over from the new Chief of Defence Staff, Major General Olonishakin. He was formerly Director of Administration at Defence Headquarters; Major General H. Edet, new GOC 81 Division, Lagos. He was formerly the Commandant, Nigerian Army Training Center (NATRAC), Kotangora; Brigadier General Ibrahim Attahiru firmerly the Brigade Commander, 13 Brigade, Calabar is the Acting GOC, 82 Division, Enugu. He takes over from Major General S. Yusuf who is redeployed to Defence Headquarters as Chief of Training and Operations.

Among the new Principal Staff Officers at Army headquarters are Major General F.O. Alli, formerly the GOC 3 Division, Jos, now the Chief of Training and Operations (CTOP) at Army Headquarters; Major General Ogunewe, formerly the Defence Adviser New York, is the new Chief of Policy and Plans; Major General Christopher Jemitola is the new Commander, Corp of Signal Headquarters, Laos; Brigadier General A.T Hamman is the new Provost Marshall, Nigerian Army; Brigadier General A.H. Sahad is the new Director of Defence Intelligence (DMI).

The new Commander of the Multi-national Joint Task Force with headquarters in Njamena, Chad is Major General Ilyasu Abbah. He was formerly the Military Secretary (Army). He takes over fromthe Chief of Army Staff, Major General Tukur Buratai.

Major General L.W. Wiwa, formerly the Director of Military Intelligence, is the Deputy Commandant at the Armed Force Resettlement Center, Oshodi; Major General PAT Akem, formerly the Provost Marshall is the new Director of Administration at Army headquarters; Major General B.T. Ndiomu, formerly Commander, Army Headquarters Garrison, is posted to Jaji as Director, Simulation Center; the new Commander of the Special Military Task Force (STF) Jos, is Major Genera C.O Udeh.

Brigadier Genera S.M Bello, formerly Brigade Commander 34 Brigade Owerri, is posted to Army headquarters as Director of Operations; Brigadier General O. Ofoche is the new Brigade Commander, 34 Artillery Brigade; Brigadier General A.O Olabanji is the new Brigade Commander, 2 Brigade, Port Harcourt; Brigadier General AM Dikko is the Acting Commander, Army Headquarters Garrison, Abuja. He was formerly Commander, 31 Brigade, Minna;

A new Acting Director of Defence Information has also been appointed. He is Colonel Rabe Abubakar. He was at one time, Commandant of the Nigerian Army Information School, Bonny Camp, Lagos. He is to take over from Major General Chris Olukolade, formerly the DDI.

At the Defence headquarters, Major General Emmanuel Atewe, formerly Commander of the Joint Task Force, Operation Pulo Shield, Yenagoa is the new Chief of Logistics, Major General M.T. Ibrahim is the new Commandant of the Nigerian Defence Academy.

The 12 senior officers who are to proceed on a one year course to the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON) include former GOC’s, former PSO’s, former Commandants of Training Institutions and former Corp’s Commanders.