A major shake-up in the military has seen the redeployment of the Director of Defence Information, Defence Headquarters, Maj-Gen. John Enenche, and 398 other senior army officers.
A statement from the Director of Public Relations, Nigerian Army, Brig-Gen. Sani Usman, said the postings and redeployments of the affected officers represented the 2017 Fourth Quarter Postings.
Gen. Usman said the postings were with effect from January 2, 2018.
The statement reads: “The Nigerian Army has today, Friday 29th December 2017, released the 2017 Fourth Quarter Postings and Appointments of its Officers.
“It will be recalled that recently, some senior officers were promoted to the ranks of Brigadier-General and Major-General, while some have also left service on completion of mandatory years of service in the Army.
“The posting is also aimed at injecting new hands to further actualise the vision of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. T. Y. Buratai, which is ‘to have a professionally responsive Nigerian Army in the discharge of its constitutional roles.’
“Accordingly, the posting and redeployment has affected some Principal Staff Officers at Defence and Army Headquarters, Corps Commanders, General Officers Commanding (GOC), Commandants of Training Institutions and Directors, amongst others.
“In all, the postings and appointments affected 399 officers.
“Those affected include Major General R.O. Yusuf, Commander Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), who is now the Chief of Policy and Plans (Army); Major General A.A. Salihu, Chief of Defence Communications, will now take over as Commander, TRADOC; Major General L.O. Adeosun, also from Defence Headquarters, has been appointed Commander, Infantry Corps; Major General C.M. Abraham has been moved from 2 Division to Defence Intelligence Agency as Deputy Chief of Defence Intelligence while Major General O.F. Azinta replaces him as General Officer Commanding 2 Division.
” Major General U.S. Yakubu is now to take over as Commandant of Martin Luther Agwai International Leadership and Peacekeeping Centre; Major General F.O. Agugo is now Commander, Command Army Records; Major General J.S. Malu is now the Corps Commander, Nigerian Army Engineers and Major General J.G.K. Myam, the Director of Operations is now the Commander, Army Headquarters Garrison, Abuja.
“Others affected include, Commander Guards Brigade, Major General M.S. Yusuf, who is now General Officer Commanding 6 Division, replacing Major General E.O. Udoh, who is reassigned to 81 Division as GOC. In the same vein, Brigadier General U.T. Musa is now the Commander Guards Brigade. Major General I.B.J. Okeke is now Corps Commander, Nigerian Army Medical Corps, while Major General K.O. Kadiri is now Group Managing Director, Nigerian Army Welfare Holding Limited/Guarantee.
“Similarly, Major General E.J. Enenche has been appointed Commandant Army War College Nigeria, while Brigadier General J.A. Agim is now the Acting Director Defence Information and Brigadier General J.T.E. Chukwu is now the Commandant of Nigerian Army School of Public Relations and Information.
“Brigadier General L.T. Omoniyi has been appointed as the Commander of the newly established 17 Brigade with Headquarters in Katsina; Brigadier E.T. Essien is now Commander 29 Task Force Brigade, while Brigadier General T.A. Lagbaja is coming from Headquarters 8 Division to Army Headquarters as Acting Director Operations and Brigadier General G.N. Mutkut takes over as Commander 7 Multinational Joint Task Force Brigade.
“All the postings and appointments take effect from 2nd January 2018.”