COAS approves GOCs for new Nigerian Army divisions as armed forces expand
Army
Abdullateef Fowewe
The Nigerian Army has confirmed that the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has approved the appointment of General Officers Commanding (GOCs) to newly established Army divisions, following President Bola Tinubu’s authorisation to create four additional divisions.
This was made known in a statement made available on Tuesday by the Nigerian Army.
“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 statement said.
The Army described the expansion as part of 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 begin operations in their respective locations “on attainment of Initial Operational Capability (IOC) while deliberate measures are being implemented to progressively attain Full Operational Capability (FOC),” the statement added.
The phased approach is intended to ensure “seamless operationalisation, operational continuity and rapid force projection across the country.”
As part of a broad reorganisation, the Army reassigned divisional Areas of Responsibility (AORs):
• 1 Division, Kaduna: Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Jigawa.
• 2 Division, Ibadan: Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Ondo.
• 3 Division, Jos: Plateau, Bauchi, Gombe.
• 5 Division, Makurdi (new): Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi.
• 6 Division, Port Harcourt (new): Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River.
• 7 Division, Maiduguri (new): Borno, Yobe.
• 8 Division, Sokoto: Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara.
• 9 Division, Ilorin (new): Kwara, Niger.
• 10 Division, Jalingo (new): border areas of Taraba, Adamawa.
• 81 Division, Lagos: Lagos, Ogun.
• 82 Division, Enugu: Enugu, Anambra, Abia, Ebonyi, Imo.
• 83 Division, Benin City (new, to be activated later): Edo, Delta, Bayelsa.
To lead the new formations, the COAS approved the appointment of senior officers to command posts.
The statement named several redeployments, including, “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.”
The Army said the new divisions will become operational in phases as they reach IOC and FOC benchmarks, with some headquarters already activated and others scheduled for activation later in the year.
