By Our Correspondent
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, has approved the appointment of General Officers Commanding (GOCs) for the newly established Nigerian Army divisions following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s approval for the creation of four additional divisions.
The appointments are part of efforts to strengthen the Nigerian Army’s operational capacity, improve command and control, expand its presence across the country and enhance its response to emerging security threats.
A statement by the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Col. Appolonia Anele, said the newly created divisions would begin operations upon attaining Initial Operational Capability (IOC), while measures were being put in place to achieve Full Operational Capability (FOC).
Under the new structure, 1 Division Kaduna will oversee Kaduna, Kano, Katsina and Jigawa states, while 2 Division Ibadan will cover Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo states. The 3 Division Jos will be responsible for Plateau, Bauchi and Gombe states.
The newly established 5 Division, headquartered in Makurdi, will oversee Benue, Nasarawa and Kogi states, while 6 Division Port Harcourt will cover Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states. The 7 Division Maiduguri will retain responsibility for Borno and Yobe states, while 8 Division Sokoto will continue to oversee Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states.
Also, the new 9 Division, with headquarters in Ilorin, will be responsible for Kwara and Niger states, while the 10 Division, headquartered in Jalingo, will cover the border 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 Army also announced that the newly created 83 Division, headquartered in Benin City, will oversee Edo, Delta and Bayelsa states when it becomes operational later this year.
To head the new formations, the COAS appointed Major General Yakubu Yahaya as GOC of 9 Division and Commander of Operation SAVANNA SHIELD; Major General Chinedu Ralph Nnebeife as GOC of 10 Division, Jalingo; and Major General Moses Gara as GOC of 5 Division, Makurdi, and Commander of Operation WHIRL STROKE.
Major General Auwalu Mahmuda was also redeployed to serve as GOC of 2 Division, Ibadan.
The Army further activated three new brigades. Brigadier General A.O. Odubiyi was appointed Commander of 11 Brigade, Gboko; Brigadier General A.M. Haruna will head 29 Brigade, Kainji; while Brigadier General R.M. Aminu will command 10 Brigade, Lafia.
Shaibu congratulated the newly appointed commanders and urged them to provide effective leadership, sustain operational momentum and uphold professionalism in the discharge of their duties.
He reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s commitment to protecting the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, safeguarding lives and property, and supporting national peace and security.
The army chief also thanked President Tinubu for his support in expanding the Army’s operational capabilities, describing the creation of the additional divisions as a major milestone in the transformation of the Nigerian Army.
According to him, the expanded force structure will enhance command and control, improve operational coordination, strengthen border security and enable faster deployment of troops to tackle evolving security challenges across the country.
