Army Chief Appoints GOCs for New Divisions, Unveils Three Brigades

By Zainab Uzomah| Abuja

The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has appointed General Officers Commanding for newly established Nigerian Army divisions as part of a major reorganisation aimed at strengthening military operations across the country.

The appointments follow President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s approval for the establishment of four additional Army divisions to expand the Service’s operational footprint and improve its response to evolving security threats.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Colonel Appolonia Anele, said Major General Yakubu Yahaya has been redeployed from the Joint Task Force, Operation SAVANNA SHIELD, to Headquarters 9 Division, Ilorin, as GOC and Commander of the operation.

Major General Chinedu Ralph Nnebeife moves from Headquarters 2 Division/Sector 3, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, to Headquarters 10 Division, Jalingo, as GOC, while Major General Moses Gara has been redeployed from Operation WHIRL STROKE to Headquarters 5 Division, Makurdi, where he will serve as GOC and Commander of the operation.

Major General Auwalu Mahmuda has also been moved from the Army Headquarters Directorate of Inspection and Compliance to Headquarters 2 Division, Ibadan, as GOC.

The Army Chief also unveiled three new brigades to strengthen the expanded divisional structure. Brigadier General A.O. Odubiyi will command Headquarters 11 Brigade in Gboko, Brigadier General A.M. Haruna will head Headquarters 29 Brigade in Kainji, while Brigadier General R.M. Aminu will command Headquarters 10 Brigade in Lafia.

Colonel Anele said the restructuring is designed to enhance command and control, improve operational coordination and enable faster deployment of troops and resources across the country.

Under the revised Areas of Responsibility, 1 Division Kaduna will cover Kaduna, Kano, Katsina and Jigawa states, while 2 Division Ibadan will cover Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo. The 3 Division Jos will oversee Plateau, Bauchi and Gombe states.

The new 5 Division in Makurdi will cover Benue, Nasarawa and Kogi states, while 6 Division Port Harcourt will be responsible for Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River. The 7 Division Maiduguri will cover Borno and Yobe, while 8 Division Sokoto retains Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states.

The new 9 Division in Ilorin will cover Kwara and Niger states, while 10 Division in Jalingo will be responsible for border areas of Taraba and Adamawa. The 81 Division Lagos will continue to cover Lagos and Ogun, while 82 Division Enugu will oversee Enugu, Anambra, Abia, Ebonyi and Imo states.

The newly established 83 Division, headquartered in Benin City, will cover Edo, Delta and Bayelsa states when it becomes operational later in the year.

According to the Army, the new divisions will commence operations once they attain Initial Operational Capability, with measures being taken to progressively achieve Full Operational Capability.

Lieutenant General Shaibu congratulated the newly appointed commanders and charged them to provide effective leadership, maintain operational momentum and uphold professionalism and discipline.

He also thanked President Tinubu for supporting the expansion of the Army’s operational capabilities, describing the creation of the additional divisions as a major milestone in the transformation of the Nigerian Army.

The Army Chief said the expanded structure would strengthen border security, improve troop deployment and coordination, and enhance joint and multi-agency operations in responding to security threats across the country.