The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has approved the appointment of General Officers Commanding (GOCs) for four newly established Nigerian Army divisions following President Bola Tinubu’s approval for the expansion of the Army’s force structure.
The appointments are part of a major reorganisation of the Nigerian Army aimed at strengthening command and control, expanding its operational footprint and enhancing its capacity to tackle Nigeria’s evolving security challenges.
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The Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Appolonia Anele, a colonel, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.
According to the statement, the newly established divisions will commence operations immediately after attaining Initial Operational Capability (IOC), while efforts are underway to achieve Full Operational Capability (FOC) through a phased implementation designed to ensure seamless operationalisation and rapid force projection across the country.
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New General Officers Commanding (GOCs)
Under the appointments approved by the COAS, Major General Yakubu Yahaya was redeployed from the Headquarters Joint Task Force (North Central), Operation SAVANNA SHIELD, to Headquarters 9 Division, Ilorin, where he will serve as General Officer Commanding and Commander of Operation SAVANNA SHIELD.
Major General Chinedu Ralph Nnebeife was redeployed from Headquarters 2 Division/Sector 3 Joint Task Force (North West), Operation FANSAN YAMMA, to Headquarters 10 Division, Jalingo, as General Officer Commanding.
Similarly, Major General Moses Gara was redeployed from Headquarters Joint Task Force Operation WHIRL STROKE to Headquarters 5 Division, Makurdi, where he assumes the dual role of General Officer Commanding and Commander of Joint Task Force Operation WHIRL STROKE.
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Also, Major General Auwalu Mahmuda was moved from the Army Headquarters Directorate of Inspection and Compliance to Headquarters 2 Division, Ibadan, as General Officer Commanding.
To strengthen the new formations, the Army also activated three additional brigades.
Brigadier General A.O. Odubiyi, formerly of the Army Headquarters Operations Centre, was appointed Commander of the newly established 11 Brigade, Gboko.
Brigadier General A.M. Haruna was redeployed from the Nigerian Army Armour School to command the newly established 29 Brigade, Kainji, while Brigadier General R.M. Aminu moved from the National Defence College to head the newly established 10 Brigade, Lafia.
Army restructures operational commands
The appointments coincide with a comprehensive reorganisation of the Army’s divisional areas of responsibility.
Under the new arrangement, 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, while the newly created 5 Division, headquartered in Makurdi, will oversee Benue, Nasarawa and Kogi states.
The 6 Division Port Harcourt will cover Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states, while 7 Division Maiduguri will retain responsibility for Borno and Yobe states.
The 8 Division Sokoto will continue to oversee Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states.
The newly established 9 Division, headquartered in Ilorin, will be responsible for Kwara and Niger states, while the 10 Division, headquartered in Jalingo, will oversee Taraba and Adamawa states.
The 81 Division Lagos will continue to cover Lagos and Ogun states, while 82 Division Enugu will retain responsibility for Enugu, Anambra, Abia, Ebonyi and Imo states.
A newly established 83 Division, headquartered in Benin City, will oversee Edo, Delta and Bayelsa states.
Army Chief charges commanders
Lieutenant General Shaibu congratulated the newly appointed commanders and urged them to provide visionary leadership, sustain operational momentum and uphold the highest standards of professionalism, discipline and mission effectiveness.
He reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s commitment to safeguarding Nigeria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, protecting the lives and property of law-abiding citizens and supporting efforts to achieve lasting peace and security across the country.
The Army chief also thanked President Tinubu for approving the creation of the additional divisions, describing the decision as a historic milestone in the transformation of the Nigerian Army and a reflection of the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s defence architecture.
He expressed confidence that the expanded force structure would enhance command and control, improve operational coordination, strengthen border security, facilitate faster deployment of troops and resources, and boost the Army’s capacity to respond decisively to emerging security threats nationwide.
BELOW IS THE FULL STATEMENT BY THE ARMY
COAS APPROVES APPOINTMENT OF GENERAL OFFICERS COMMANDING TO NEWLY ESTABLISHED NIGERIAN ARMY DIVISIONS
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has approved the appointment of General Officers Commanding (GOCs) to the newly established Nigerian Army Divisions, following the approval by His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Grand Commander of the Federal Republic, President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, for the establishment of four additional Divisions. The landmark development forms part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the Nigerian Army’s force structure, expand its operational footprint, enhance command and control as well as improve the Service’s capacity to effectively respond to Nigeria’s evolving security challenges.
The newly established Divisions will immediately commence operations, in the respective locations, on attainment of Initial Operational Capability (IOC) while deliberate measures are being implemented to progressively attain Full Operational Capability (FOC). This phased approach will ensure seamless operationalisation, operational continuity and rapid force projection across the country.
Consequently, the Nigerian Army has undertaken a comprehensive reorganisation of its Divisional Areas of Responsibility. Under the new structure, 1 Division Kaduna will be responsible for security in Kaduna, Kano, Katsina and Jigawa States, while 2 Division Ibadan will cover Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo States. The 3 Division Jos will oversee Plateau, Bauchi and Gombe States.
The newly established 5 Division, with Headquarters in Makurdi, will assume responsibility for Benue, Nasarawa and Kogi States, while 6 Division Port Harcourt will cover Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River States. The 7 Division Maiduguri will be responsible for Borno and Yobe states while 8 Division Sokoto will retain responsibility for Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara States.
Furthermore, the newly established 9 Division, headquartered in Ilorin, will cover Kwara and Niger States, while the newly established 10 Division, headquartered in Jalingo, will be responsible for security in the boader 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 newly established 83 Division, with Headquarters in Benin City, will cover Edo, Delta and Bayelsa States when activated later in the year.
To provide effective leadership for the new formations, the COAS has approved the appointment of seasoned senior officers as General Officers Commanding. Those appointed includes; Major General Yakubu Yahaya redeployed from Headquarters Joint Task Force (North Central), Operation SAVANNA SHIELD (OPSS), to Headquarters 9 Division, Ilorin, as the General Officer Commanding and Commander, Operation SAVANNA SHIELD. Major General Chinedu Ralph Nnebeife has been redeployed from Headquarters 2 Division/Sector 3 Joint Task Force (North West), Operation FANSAN YAMMA, to Headquarters 10 Division, Jalingo, as the General Officer Commanding. Similarly, Major General Moses Gara has been redeployed from Headquarters Joint Task Force Operation WHIRL STROKE (OPWS) to Headquarters 5 Division, Makurdi, where he assumes the dual appointment of General Officer Commanding and Commander, Joint Task Force Operation WHIRL STROKE.
In the same vein, Major General Auwalu Mahmuda has been redeployed from the Army Headquarters Directorate of Inspection and Compliance to Headquarters 2 Division, Ibadan, as the General Officer Commanding. In order to strengthen the newly established divisions, three new brigades were equally activated. The newly established brigades have Brigadier General AO Odubiyi from Army Headquarters Operations Center assuming command of Headquarters 11 Brigade Gboko as Commander, Brigadier General AM Haruna posted from the Nigerian Army Armour School to Headquarters 29 Brigade Kainji as Commander. Additionally, Brigadier General RM Aminu redeployed from the National Defence College to Headquarters 10 Brigade Lafia as Commander.
The Chief of Army Staff congratulated the newly appointed commanders and charged them to provide visionary leadership, sustain operational momentum and uphold the highest standards of professionalism, discipline and mission effectiveness in the discharge of their responsibilities. He reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Nigeria, protecting the lives and property of all law-abiding citizens and supporting the attainment of enduring national peace and security.
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Lieutenant General Shaibu also expressed profound appreciation to the President, Commander-in-Chief Armed Forces of Nigeria , His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for his steadfast support and strategic investment in expanding the Nigerian Army’s operational capabilities. He noted that the establishment of the additional Divisions represents a historic milestone in the transformation of the Nigerian Army and reflects the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening national defence architecture.
The COAS emphasized that the new Divisions will significantly enhance command and control, improve operational coordination, strengthen border security, facilitate faster deployment of troops and resources and increase the Nigerian Army’s capacity to respond decisively to emerging and evolving security threats across the country. He expressed confidence that the expanded force structure will further bolster joint and multi-agency operations, reinforce national stability and contribute substantially to the restoration of lasting peace and security nationwide.
APPOLONIA ANELE
Colonel
Acting Director Army Public Relations
29 July 2026
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