COAS Waidi Shaibu Emphasizes Need For Combat-Ready Army As He Announces Senior Appointments
Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, who was appointed as Chief of Army Staff on October 24, 2025, has gotten off to a good start with the announcement of senior appointments in the top echelon of the Nigerian Army.
A statement made available to Team@orientactualmags.com on Thursday which was signed by Appolonia Anele, a Lieutenant Colonel, who is the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, noted that it was a decisive move aimed at reinvigorating leadership, strengthening command structures and repositioning the Nigerian Army (NA) for heightened operational effectiveness.
Senior officers, the statement noted, have been appointed to key command, staff and instructional positions across formations, units and training institutions of the Nigerian Army.
‘Among the newly appointed senior officers are Major General Bamidele Alabi, who has been redeployed to the Army Headquarters and appointed as Chief of Policy and Plans, Department of Policy and Plans , Major General Jamal Abdulsalam, formerly Chief of Special Services and Programmes at the Army Headquarters , who is now Chief of Defence Operations, Department of Operations, Defence Headquarters while Major General Peter Mala moves from the Office of the National Security Adviser to head the Training and Doctrine Command Nigerian Army (TRADOC) at the headquarters.
In the same vein, Major General Samson Jiya, has been redeployed from the Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre (NAHFC) to the Defence Headquarters where he will serve as Chief of Defence Accounts and Budget, Department of Defence Accounts and Budget.
Other strategic appointments include, Major General Mayirenso Saraso from NAHFC to Department of Operations, Army Headquarters where he will serve as Chief of Operations, Major General Isa Abdullahi from the Defence Headquarters to the Department of Administration, Army Headquarters where he will serve as Chief of Administration, Major General Musa Etsu-Ndagi formerly at the Department of Training now to serve as Chief of Civil-Military Affairs ,Department of Civil-Military Affairs, Army Headquarters. Major General Abubakar Haruna from NAHFC to the Nigerian Army Training Centre (NATRAC) Kontagora as Commander and Major General Philip Ilodibia formerly of the Department of Policy and Plans, Army Headquarters to now serve as Chief of Defence Space Administration, Department of Defence Space Administration.
Equally appointed are Major General Godwin Mutkut from the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) N’Djamena to the Infantry Corps Centre as Corps Commander, Major General Umar Abubakar from the Ministry of Defence to the headquarters Nigerian Army Armour Corps as Commander Armour Corps, Major General John Adeyemo moves from the Nigerian Army School of Artillery (NASA) to Nigerian Army Corps of Artillery, Army headquarters as Corps Commander Artillery and Major General Mohammed Abdullahi from Nigerian Army Cyberwarfare Command to Headquarters Nigerian Army Signals as Corps Commander.
Additionally, Major General Taofik Sidick has been redeployed from the NAHFC to Army Headquarters where he will serve as Chief of Accounts and Budget, Nigerian Army Finance Corps while Major General Abdullahi Ibrahim moves from NAHFC to Headquarters Nigerian Army Ordnance Corps as Corps Commander, Major General Adeyinka Adereti from the Defence Headquarters to Headquarters Nigerian Army Electrical and Mechanical Engineers as Corps Commander, Major General Nansak Shagaya from the Army Headquarters Department of Operations to Headquarters Nigerian Army Corps of Supply and Transport as Corps Commander Supply and Transport while Brigadier General Yusha’u Ahmed has been appointed as Acting Corps Commander, Education.
The COAS also approved the appointment of Major General Oluyemi Olatoye from Headquarters 82 Division/ Joint Task Force South East Operation UDO KA as Commandant of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Kaduna, Major General Emmanuel Mustapha from Defence Space Administration has been redeployed to the Nigerian Army Signal School as Commandant, Major General Adamu Hassan from Nigerian Defence Section, Riyadh, to the Nigerian Army School of Artillery as Commandant and Brigadier General John Bulus from the Headquarters of the Nigerian Army Finance Corps to the Nigerian Army School of Finance and Accounts as Commandant.
Senior officers appointed as field commanders includes, Major General Saidu Audu from the Department of Training, Army Headquarters to Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF), N’Djamena, as Force Commander, Major General Warrah Idris from Defence Headquarters to Joint Task Force North West Operation FANSAN YAMMA as Commander and Major General Oluremi Fadairo from Department of Civil Military Affairs, Army Headquarters to 82 Division Nigerian Army, Enugu as General Officer Commanding and Commander Joint Task Force South East Operation UDO KA’ the statement added.
The COAS further noted that Major General Olatokumbo Bello has been appointed as the Director of Defence Media Operations at Defence Headquarters while Brigadier General Samaila Uba was redeployed from the Armed Forces Command and Staff College Jaji to the Defence Headquarters as Director Defence Information.
The statement added that Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu has urged the newly appointed senior officers to bring to bear their wealth of operational experience, administrative acumen and strategic foresight in driving a disciplined and combat-ready Army to decisively confront the contemporary and emerging security challenges while emphasizing the need to sustain the current operational momentum, strengthen interagency collaboration and remain unwavering in upholding the Nigerian Army’s core ethos of loyalty, selfless service, integrity and excellence-Team@orientactualmags.com Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08035023079, 08059100286, 09094171980. Thank you
