Military authorities announce promotions, retirements

BY ANDREW OROLUA

A gale of promotions as well as retirements is sweeping across the Nigerian military. The Army Council on Thursday December 21, 2023, approved the promotion of a total of 47 Brigadier General including spokesman Onyema Nwachukwu to the rank of Major General and 75 Colonels to the rank of Brigadier General .

Those promoted to the rank of Major General include, Brig Gen WB Etuk Commandant Nigerian Army College of Logistics and Management, Brig Gen JE Osifo Commandant Nigerian Army School of Finance and Administration, Brigadier General WM Dangana Commander Sector 3 Joint Task Force North East Operation HADIN KAI, Brig Gen TB Ugiagbe Acting Chief of Military Intelligence, Brig Gen ASM Wase Deputy Director General Land Forces Stimulation Centre Nigeria Operations, Brig Gen MA Abdullahi Commandant Depot Nigerian Army.

Brig Gen BI Alaya Commander Command Engineering Depot, Brig Gen AO Oyelade Director Personnel Planning Army Headquarters Department of personnel Management, Brig Gen OO Arogundade Commandant Nigerian Army School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, Brig Gen EI Okoro Commander 13 Brigade, Brig Gen CR Nnebeife Executive Director Nigerian Army Farms and Ranches Limited, Brig Gen FU Mijinyawa Director Plans Army Headquarters Department of Policy and Plans.

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Brig Gen MT Abdullahi Commander 50 Space Command, Brig Gen M Adamu Commander 32 Brigade, Brig Gen ND Shagaya Commandant Nigerian Army School of Supply and Transport, Brig Gen ME Onoja Office of the CDS and Brig Gen MO Erebulu Acting Director Psychological Warfare Defence Headquarters.

Equally elevated to the rank of Major General are Brig Gen BA Ilori Commander Army Headquarters Garrison Ordnance Services, Brig Gen MO Ihanuwaze Director Budget Army Headquarters, Brig Gen O Nwachukwu Director Army Public Relations, Brig Gen EE Ekpenyong of the Nigerian Army Resource Centre, Brig Gen SI Musa Director Legal Service (Army), Brig Gen M Galadima Commander Command Finance Office and Brig Gen AP Ahmadu Commander 1 Division Ordnance Service.

Officers promoted from the rank of Colonel to Brigadier General are Col Nwakonobi Chief of Staff Headquarters 3 Brigade, Col MC Akin Ojo Commander 41 Engineer Brigade, Col BM Madaki Deputy Director Army Headquarters Operations Monitoring Team, Col MO Edide Directing Staff Army War College Nigeria, Col KE Inyang Commander 76 ST Brigade, Col OO Nafiu Chief of Staff Office of the Chief of Army Staff, Col PA Zipele Commander Signal Operations Command,

Col OA Onasanya Acting Command Guards Brigade, Col MI Amatso Deputy Director Department of Civil Military Affairs, Col CM Akaliro Deputy Director Army Headquarters Department of Army Transformation and Innovation, Col NE Okoloagu Directing Staff Army War College Nigeria, Col AS Bugaje Acting Director Special Forces Infantry Corps Centre, Col AM Kitchner Commander 6 Division Finance and Account, Col SJ Dogo Deputy Chief of Staff Operations Headquarters 82 Division and Col JN Garba Commander 32 Brigade Garrison.

Others elevated to the rank of Brigadier General are Col PT Gbor Commander 81 Military Intelligence Brigade. Col SO Okoigi Acting Corps Commander Nigerian Army Medical Corps, Col AF Maimagani Acting Director Chaplaincy (Roman Catholic), Col PO Alimekhena Headquarters 81 Division, Col BI George Acting Director Directorate of Dental Services Headquarters Nigerian Army medical Corps, Col IB Gambari Headquarters 63 Brigade and Col AY Emekoma Participant Senior Executive Course 45 National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies.

The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja congratulates the newly promoted senior officers and their families. He has also charged them to redouble their efforts to justify their elevation and the confidence reposed in them.

In another development, the Air Force Council (AFC) has also approved the promotion of 37 senior officers to the next higher ranks in the Nigerian Air Force (NAF).

A statement by Group Captain Kabiru Ali the Deputy Director of Public Relations & Information Nigerian Air Force stated that out of the 37 senior officers promoted, 22 were elevated to the rank of Air Vice Marshal, while 15 were elevated to the rank of Air Commodore. Those elevated to the rank of Air Vice Marshal include the Director of Public Relations and Information, Headquarters NAF (HQ NAF), Edward Gabkwet, Abubakar Sule, Olayinka Oyesola, Abubakar Bukar, Razaq Olanrewaju, Olanrewaju Oyename, Ahmed Idris, Abdulrasheed Kotun, Chidiebere Obiabaka, Gambo Mbaka, Felix Uwakara, John Ukeh, Emeka Ashiegbu, Zayyan Usman, Mohammed Ibrahim, Babatunde Ajayi, David Dickson, Muhammed Sulaiman, Rasaq Shittu, Friday Ogohi, Henry Yurkusi and Suleiman Usman.

Those promoted to the rank of Air Commodore include Valentine Oraeki, Dogari Apyeyak, Ali Idris, Mohammed Ahmed, Shehu Chindo, Abubakar Mohammed, Logomfa Nansoh, Abraham Sule, Idris Suleiman, Oluwaseun Oluwatayo, Ibrahim shehu, Yahaya Bashir, Adolphus Akins, Rilwanu Abdullahi, Babangida Zakari and David Bigila

The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, has since congratulated the newly promoted senior officers, while reminding them of the need for deep thinking and critical evaluation of current security environment with a view to proffering actionable strategies towards overcoming the problems it portends for our nation.

According to the CAS, ‘To whom much is given, much is also expected. You much therefore justify this recognition by always going the extra mile in safeguarding the lives and properties of all Nigerians.”

Similarly, the Navy Board has also approved the promotions of 58 senior officers to various ranks in the Nigerian Navy including the spokesman commodore Adedotun Ayo-Vaughan who is elevated to the rank of Rear Admiral.

The breakdown of the promotion released late Thursday showed that 30 Commodores were promoted to the rank of Rear Admirals while 28 Navy Captains were elevated to Commodores .

According to the Director of Information Commodore Adedotun Ayo-Vaughan who happened to be among the newly promoted senior officers from Commodore to Rear Admiral in a statement noted that those promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral include;

Commodores Adefemi Kayode, Kabir Mohammed, Gabriel Aligwe, Aliyu Gaya, Shehu Gombe, Godfrey Kwetishe, Robert Obeya, Musa Katagum, Kehinde Odubanjo, Pakiribo Anabraba, Suleiman Ibrahim, Olugbenga Oladipo, Haruna Zego, Adedotun Ayo-Vaughan, Mohammed Dahiru,

Nnamdi Ekwom, Stephen Ibrahim, Mohammed Muye, Aniefiok Uko, Anenechukwu Ezenma, Olufemi Adeleke, Etop Ebe, Sunday Yahaya, Umaru Faruk, Michael Igwe, Ikenna Ubanni, Emmanuel Anakwe, Omotola Olukoya. Furthermore, Joseph Ake was promoted unto retirement.

The newly promoted Commodores are Captains Innocent Udoudoh, Mohammed Umaru, Iliya Abdu Aiwuyor Adams-Aliu, Reginald Adoki, Abimbola Agunbiade, Christian Akokota, Chukwuma Azuike, Adegoke Ebo, Innocent Ejiofor,

Tahir Ngada, Oluseyi Oladipo, Shehu Tasiu, Aliyu Umaru, Peter Yilme, Sikiru Abdulraheem, Tunde Abdulrahim, Emeka Chinaka, Effiom Ekpenyong, George Nwabunike, Akinrinsola Obisesan, Igbani Agwu, Babatunde Kuton, Ahmad Madawaki, Momoh Salihu, Additionally, Captains Hassan Dogara, Olajide Babalola and Suleiman Idris were promoted unto retirement.

The Chief of the Naval Staff Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla AM on behalf of officers, ratings and civilian staff of the Nigerian Navy, rejoice with the newly promoted Senior Officers and their families and charge them to rededicate themselves to the service of fatherland and remain loyal to the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, HE Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR.