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Army Reshuffles Top Brass, Appoints New PSOs, GOCs, Others

Published

2 years ago

June 24, 2023

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Major General Taoreed Lagbaja, has approved the posting and appointment of some senior officers of the Nigerian Army (NA) to command, instructional and staff appointments across NA formations and units.

The Director, Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, in a statement on Saturday, said this was in an effort to reposition the Nigerian Army for operational efficiency and functional administration.

Those affected in the recent redeployment include some Principal Staff Officers (PSOs) of the Army Headquarters (AHQ) General Officers Commanding (GOCs), Corps Commanders, Commandants of training institutions, Brigade Commanders, Commanding Officers, amongst others.

See the full statement below:

NIGERIAN ARMY RESHUFFLES TOP BRASS, APPOINTS NEW PSOs, GOCs, OTHERS

In an effort to reposition the Nigerian Army (NA) for operational efficiency and functional administration, the Chief of Army Staff ( COAS) Major General Taoreed Lagbaja has approved the posting and appointment of some senior officers of the Nigerian Army (NA) to command, instructional and staff appointments across NA formations and units.

Some of the senior officers appointed as PSOs of the AHQ include Maj Gen AB Ibrahim who was posted from Headquarters 3 Division NA to the Department of Policy and Plans (DAPP) and appointed Chief of Policy and Plans (Army), Maj Gen BR Sinjen posted from Nigerian Army Corps of Artillery (NACA) to the Department of Army Operations (DAOPs) and appointed Chief of Operations(Army) and Maj Gen OR Aiyenigba from Nigerian Army Corps of Military Police to Department of Army Standards and Evaluation and appointed Chief of Army Standards and Evaluation (Army). Others are Maj Gen NC Ugbo from Nigerian Army Signals School to Department of Civil Military Affairs and appointed Chief of Civil Military Affairs and Maj Gen E Akerejola from Headquarters Nigerian Army Corps of Supply and Transport to Army Headquarters Department of Logistics as the Chief of Logistics (Army).

Senior officers appointed as General Officers Commanding (GOCs) are Major General BA Alabi from Army War College Nigeria ( AWCN) to Headquarters 1 Division as GOC, Maj Gen AE Abubakar from Headquarters 7 Division to 3 Division as GOC 3 Division/ Commander Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) and Maj Gen PP Mala, who was posted from Depot Nigerian Army to Headquarters 7 Division as GOC/ Commander Sector 1 Joint Task North East( NE) Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK).

Others are Maj Gen GU Chibuisi from HQ Multinational Joint Task Force Ndjamena (MNJTF) to Theatre Command Joint Task Force NE Operation (OPHK) and appointed Theatre Commander, while Maj Gen IS Ali was redeployed from Theatre Command Joint Task Force NE OPHK to HQ MNJTF as the Force Commander and Maj Gen EAP Undiandeye whose redeployment from Martin Luther Agwai International Peace Keeping Centre to Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) as Chief of Defence Intelligence has been formalised.

Senior officers appointed as Corps Commanders include Maj Gen OO Oluyede as the Commander Infantry Corps, Maj Gen MG Kangye from Department of Civil Miltary Affairs(DCMA) to Headquarters Nigerian Army Corps of Artillery and appointed Commander. Others are Maj Gen AA Adeyinka from Nigerian Army College of Logistics and Management (NACOLM) to Headquarters Nigerian Army Corps of Supply and Transport and appointed Commander.

Other senior officers also affected in the redeployment are Maj General KO Aligbe who is appointed as Commander Training and Doctrine Command, Maj Gen JO Ochai, from Defence Headquarters to Nigerian Defence Academy( NDA) and appointed Commandant, Maj Gen IB Maina posted from Department of Policy and Plans to Army War College Nigeria and appointed Commandant.

Equally redeployed are Brig Gen TB Ugiagbe who is appointed Acting Chief of Military Intelligence (Army), Brig Gen OG Onubogu from Headquarters Infantry Corps Centre to Martin Luther Agwai International Peace Keeping Centre as Commandant, while Brig Gen N Ashinze moves from Department of Civil Military Cooperation to Defence Intelligence Agency as Director Fusion. The Nigerian Army has also formalised the redeployment of Col AO Onasanya from Army War College Nigeria to Headquarters Guards Brigade as Acting Commander.

The Chief of Army Staff has directed all newly appointed senior officers to redouble their effort and commitment to duty in ensuring the sustenance of the ongoing onslaught against terrorism, insurgency and other threats to national security, as they assume their new appointments.

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Published

18 hours ago

September 21, 2025

Editor

News

JUST IN: Ooni Visits Olubadan-designate Ladoja In Ibadan

Published

23 hours ago

September 21, 2025

Editor

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, on Sunday, paid a visit to the Olubadan designate, Rashidi Ladoja, at his Bodija private residence in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The PUNCH reports that Oba Ladoja will be installed as the 44th Olubadan on Friday, September 26, 2025, following the demise of the 43rd Olubadan, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, who joined his ancestors on Monday, July 7, 2025, at the age of 90 years.

The two paramount rulers are currently exchanging pleasantries.

Details later…

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JUST IN: FG Revokes 1,263 Mineral Licenses Over Unpaid Fees

Published

23 hours ago

September 21, 2025

Editor

The Federal Government through the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development has announced a fresh revocation of not less than 1,263 mineral licenses.

These licenses, which will now be deleted from the Electronic Mining Cadastral System portal of the Nigerian Mining Cadastral Office, include 584 exploration licenses, 65 mining leases, 144 quarry licenses, and 470 small-scale mining leases.

The minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, gave the revocation announcement in a statement issued by his special assistant on Media, Segun Tomori, on Sunday in Abuja.

The minister explained that the directive was issued due to the companies’ failure to comply with the requirement of paying their annual service fees.

The latest revocation brings the total mineral titles revoked under the current administration to 3, 794 including,619 mineral titles revoked for defaulting in paying annual service fees and 912 for dormancy last year.

By opening up the areas formerly covered by these licenses, the revocation is expected to spur fresh applications by investors looking for fresh opportunities.

The statement read, “Not less than 1,263 mineral licenses will be deleted from the portal of the Electronic Mining Cadastral system of the Nigerian Mining Cadastral Office, MCO, following their revocation by the Federal Government.

“These include 584 exploration licenses, 65 mining leases, 144 quarry licenses, and 470 small-scale mining leases.”

Approving the revocation following the recommendation of the MCO, the Minister said applying the law to keep speculators and unserious investors away from the mining sector would make way for diligent investors and grow the sector.

“The era of obtaining licences and keeping them in drawers for the highest bidder, while financially capable and industrious businessmen are complaining of access to good sites, is over.

“The annual service fee is the minimum evidence that you are interested in mining. You don’t have to wait for us to revoke the license because the law allows you to return the license if you change your mind,” the minister said.

He warned that the revocation does not mean the Federal Government has pardoned the annual service debt owed by licensees, adding that the list will be forwarded to the Economic & Financial Crimes Commission to ensure that debtors pay or face the wrath of the law.

“This is to encourage due diligence and emphasise the consequences of inundating the license application processes with speculative activities.”

In the recommendation to the minister, the Director-General of the MCO, Simon Nkom, disclosed that there were 1,957 initial defaulters when the MCO published the intention to revoke licences in the Federal Government Gazette on June 19, 2025.

He informed the minister that the gazette was distributed to MCO offices nationwide to sensitise licencees and encourage them to comply within 30 days in compliance with the Minerals and Mining Act 2007 and relevant regulations.

He observed that the delay in the final recommendation was due to complaints of several licensees who claimed to have paid to the Federal Government through Remita and had to be reconciled.

Earlier this month, the DG MCO had hinted that more mining licences would be revoked as part of ongoing efforts to sanitise the solid minerals sector and protect investors from fraudsters.

According to Nkom, the clean-up exercise, which covers expired, speculative, and inactive titles, is necessary to make room for genuine investors and ensure compliance with the law.

This is part of ongoing efforts at sanitising the sector since the inception of the Tinubu administration, and the salutary effects of the reforms are massive and manifest despite the attempts to push back by defaulters and their agents.