Major shake-up in Nigerian Army; new GOCs, DDI, commanders, others emerge

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Major-General Faruk Yahaya, has approved the appointment of new Principal Staff Officers (PSOs), General Officers Commanding (GOCs), Commandant of military training institutions, new Director, Defence Information, among others.

The appointments, which are with immediate effect, according to the Director, Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, are aimed at rejigging the service for efficiency in command and administration within the Nigerian Army.

Under the new arrangement, Major General A.B Omozoje is now the Chief of Policy and Plans (COPP), Army headquarters, while Major General B.O Sawyer is the new Director, Defence Information (DDI).

Nwachukwu in a statement said: “The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Major General Faruk Yahaya has approved the appointment of Principal Staff Officers (PSOs), Field Commanders and other key staff that will provide the much needed vigour in his command of the Nigerian Army (NA). This was disclosed through the NA Posting released by the Department of Military Secretary on Friday 2 July 2021.

“The COAS approved the appointment of the Commandant Nigerian Army Armoured School, Maj-Gen B.O Sawyer as the new Director, Defence Information while the Chief of Operations Army, Maj-Gen I.M Yusuf becomes the Commandant Nigerian Defence Academy. Maj-Gen T.A Gagariga will move from Army Headquarters Department of Policy and Plans to Nigerian Army Artillery Corps as Corps Commander Artillery and Maj-Gen V.O Ezugwu of Training and Doctrine Command becomes the Commander Infantry Corps. Maj-Gen M.A Yekini is the new Chief of Defence Training and Operations, Maj-Gen M.S Yusuf will take over as Chief of Defence Standard and Evaluation, while the Chief of Civil – Military Affairs, Maj-Gen A.B Omozoje will take over as the Chief of Policy and Plans at the Army Headquarters.

“Equally, Maj-Gen S.O Olabanji becomes the Commander Training and Doctrine Command, Maj-Gen O.A Akintade is the new Chief of Army Logistics, Maj-Gen O.T Akinjobi takes over as Chief of Operations (Army), Maj-Gen JA Ataguba becomes the Chief of Army Standard and Evaluation while Maj-Gens KI Mukhtar and C. Ofoche are the new Chief of Administration and Chief of Transformation and Innovation respectively. Maj-Gen AB Ibrahim is appointed as Chief of Training (Army).

“Among the new field commanders are Maj-Gen A.K Ibrahim who takes over as the Force Commander Multi National Joint Task Force, N’Djamena and Maj-Gen I.S Ali who becomes the General Officer Commanding 3 Division will double as the Commander Special Task Force Operation Safe Haven.

“The COAS equally approved the appointment of Commanders, Commandants of NA Institutions, Directors and other key appointments at both Defence and Army levels. These appointments take effect immediately”. (Sunday Sun)