Authorities of the Nigerian Army on Wednesday announced the deployment of four General Officers Commanding to the newly created divisions of the land forces.
It explained that the development forms part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the Nigerian Army’s force structure, expand its operational footprint, enhance command and control.
Daily Trust reports that President Bola Tinubu, who is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, last week increased the divisions of the Nigerian Army from 8 to 12.
The increment has since been greeted with debates from various quarters.
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While some people commended the move, some said such development has great implications on the nation’s resources.
Announcing the new appointments of GOCs, the spokesman of the Nigerian Army, Appolonia Anele, explained that the newly established divisions will immediately commence operations in their respective locations.
Anele, a colonel, noted that deliberate measures are being implemented to progressively attain full operational capability on attainment of initial operational capability (IOC).
She reiterated that the newly established 5 Division will be headquartered in Makurdi, and it will assume responsibility for Benue, Nasarawa and Kogi States.
The senior military officer reiterated that under the new structure, 1 Division Kaduna will be responsible for security in Kaduna, Kano, Katsina and Jigawa States.
According to her, 2 Division Ibadan will cover Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo States while 3 Division Jos will oversee Plateau, Bauchi and Gombe States.
She added, “Furthermore, the newly established 9 Division, headquartered in Ilorin, will cover Kwara and Niger States, while the newly established 10 Division, headquartered in Jalingo, will be responsible for security in the boader areas of Taraba and Adamawa States.
“The 81 Division Lagos will continue to oversee Lagos and Ogun States, while 82 Division Enugu will retain responsibility for Enugu, Anambra, Abia, Ebonyi and Imo States.
“The newly established 83 Division, with Headquarters in Benin City, will cover Edo, Delta and Bayelsa States when activated later in the year.
“To provide effective leadership for the new formations, the COAS has approved the appointment of seasoned senior officers as General Officers Commanding.
“Those appointed includes: Major General Yakubu Yahaya redeployed from Headquarters Joint Task Force (North Central), Operation SAVANNA SHIELD (OPSS), to Headquarters 9 Division, Ilorin, as the General Officer Commanding and Commander, Operation SAVANNA SHIELD.
“Major General Chinedu Ralph Nnebeife has been redeployed from Headquarters 2 Division/Sector 3 Joint Task Force (North West), Operation FANSAN YAMMA, to Headquarters 10 Division, Jalingo, as the General Officer Commanding.
“Similarly, Major General Moses Gara has been redeployed from Headquarters Joint Task Force Operation WHIRL STROKE (OPWS) to Headquarters 5 Division, Makurdi, where he assumes the dual appointment of General Officer Commanding and Commander, Joint Task Force Operation WHIRL STROKE.
“In the same vein, Major General Auwalu Mahmuda has been redeployed from the Army Headquarters Directorate of Inspection and Compliance to Headquarters 2 Division, Ibadan, as the General Officer Commanding.
“In order to strengthen the newly established divisions, three new brigades were equally activated. The newly established brigades have Brigadier General AO Odubiyi from Army Headquarters Operations Center assuming command of Headquarters 11 Brigade Gboko as Commander, Brigadier General AM Haruna posted from the Nigerian Army Armour School to Headquarters 29 Brigade Kainji as Commander.
“Additionally, Brigadier General RM Aminu redeployed from the National Defence College to Headquarters 10 Brigade Lafia as Commander.”
The Chief of Army Staff, Waidi Shaibu, a Lieutenant-General, while congratulating the newly appointed commanders, charged them to provide visionary leadership, sustain operational momentum and uphold the highest standards of professionalism, discipline and mission effectiveness in the discharge of their responsibilities.
He also reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Nigeria, protecting the lives and property of all law-abiding citizens and supporting the attainment of enduring national peace and security.
Shaibu similarly expressed profound appreciation to the President for what he described as his steadfast support and strategic investment in expanding the Nigerian Army’s operational capabilities.
He noted that the establishment of the additional divisions represents a historic milestone in the transformation of the Nigerian Army and reflects the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening national defence architecture.
The COAS emphasized that the new Divisions will significantly enhance command and control, improve operational coordination, strengthen border security, facilitate faster deployment of troops and resources and increase the Nigerian Army’s capacity to respond decisively to emerging and evolving security threats across the country.
He expressed confidence that the expanded force structure will further bolster joint and multi-agency operations, reinforce national stability and contribute substantially to the restoration of lasting peace and security nationwide.
News Credit to our media partner DailyTrust Home .
