Army Shake-Up: COAS Appoints New Commanders for Four New Divisions

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 move is aimed at strengthening national security and improving the military’s response to the country’s growing security challenges.
The appointments were announced on Wednesday by the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Colonel Appolonia Anele. According to the statement, President Tinubu approved the creation of four additional Army Divisions as part of a major reorganisation designed to expand the Nigerian Army’s operational footprint, strengthen command and control, and enhance its ability to tackle evolving security threats across the country.
The Army disclosed that the newly established divisions will commence operations in their designated locations once they attain Initial Operational Capability (IOC), while steps are being taken to ensure they gradually achieve Full Operational Capability (FOC). It added that the phased activation will guarantee seamless operationalisation, operational continuity, and rapid force projection nationwide.
As part of the restructuring, the Nigerian Army also reviewed its 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.
The newly established 5 Division, headquartered in Makurdi, will oversee Benue, Nasarawa and Kogi states, while 6 Division Port Harcourt will be responsible for Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states. The 7 Division Maiduguri will continue to cover Borno and Yobe states, and 8 Division Sokoto will retain responsibility for Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states.
Under the new structure, the newly created 9 Division in Ilorin will oversee Kwara and Niger states, while the newly established 10 Division in Jalingo will be responsible for the border areas of Taraba and Adamawa states. The 81 Division Lagos will continue to supervise 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 established 83 Division in Benin City will oversee Edo, Delta and Bayelsa states once it becomes operational later this year.
To provide leadership for the new formations, Lieutenant General Shaibu approved the deployment of several senior officers. 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.
Similarly, Major General Chinedu Ralph Nnebeife was moved from Headquarters 2 Division/Sector 3 Joint Task Force (North West), Operation FANSAN YAMMA, to Headquarters 10 Division, Jalingo, as General Officer Commanding. The Army also confirmed that Major General Moses Gara was redeployed from Headquarters Joint Task Force Operations as part of the wider command restructuring.