By Zagazola Makama
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, has approved the appointment of General Officers Commanding (GOCs) to head the newly created four divisions of the Nigerian Army.
The Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Appolonia Anele, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.
Anele said the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), made the appointments following the approval of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, for the creation of the new divisions.
According to Anele, the newly established divisions will commence operations upon attaining Initial Operational Capability (IOC), while deliberate measures are being implemented to progressively achieve Full Operational Capability (FOC) to ensure seamless operationalisation and sustained force projection nationwide.
She said the development forms part of ongoing efforts by the Nigerian Army to strengthen its force structure, expand its operational footprint and improve its capacity to respond effectively to Nigeria’s dynamic security environment.
To provide leadership for the new formations, Anele said the COAS approved the appointment of seasoned senior officers as General Officers Commanding.
She said Major General Yakubu Yahaya had been redeployed from Headquarters Joint Task Force (North Central), Operation SAVANNA SHIELD, to Headquarters 9 Division Ilorin as General Officer Commanding and Commander of Operation SAVANNA SHIELD.
She added that Major General Chinedu Ralph Nnebeife had been redeployed from Headquarters 2 Division/Sector 3, Joint Task Force (North West), Operation FANSAN YAMMA, to Headquarters 10 Division Jalingo as General Officer Commanding.
According to her, Major General Moses Gara had been redeployed from Headquarters Joint Task Force Operation WHIRL STROKE to Headquarters 5 Division Makurdi, where he would serve as General Officer Commanding and Commander of Joint Task Force Operation WHIRL STROKE.
She also disclosed that Major General Auwalu Mahmuda had been redeployed from the Army Headquarters Directorate of Inspection and Compliance to Headquarters 2 Division Ibadan as General Officer Commanding.
Anele further announced the activation of three new brigades to reinforce the expanded force structure.
She said Brig.-Gen. A.O. Odubiyi had been appointed Commander of the newly established 11 Brigade, Gboko, while Brig.-Gen. A.M. Haruna would command the newly activated 29 Brigade, Kainji.
She added that Brig.-Gen. R.M. Aminu had been appointed Commander of 10 Brigade, Lafia.
Quoting the Chief of Army Staff, Anele said Lt.-Gen. Shaibu 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.
She said the Army Chief reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s commitment to safeguarding the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, protecting the lives and property of law-abiding citizens and supporting the restoration of enduring peace and security across the nation.
To this end, Anele said the Army had also undertaken a comprehensive reorganisation of its divisional Areas of Responsibility (AORs).
Under the new arrangement, she said 1 Division Kaduna would be responsible for Kaduna, Kano, Katsina and Jigawa states, while 2 Division Ibadan would oversee Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo states.
She added that 3 Division Jos would cover Plateau, Bauchi and Gombe states, while the newly established 5 Division Makurdi would assume responsibility for Benue, Nasarawa and Kogi states.
According to her, 6 Division Port Harcourt will continue to oversee Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states, while 7 Division Maiduguri will remain responsible for Borno and Yobe states.
She further stated that 8 Division Sokoto would retain responsibility for Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states, while the newly established 9 Division Ilorin would cover Kwara and Niger states.
Anele said the newly created 10 Division Jalingo would oversee security operations in the border areas of Taraba and Adamawa states, while 81 Division Lagos would continue to cover Lagos and Ogun states.
She added that 82 Division Enugu would retain responsibility for Enugu, Anambra, Abia, Ebonyi and Imo states, while the newly established 83 Division Benin, which will be activated later in the year, would oversee Edo, Delta and Bayelsa State.
Anele also quoted the COAS as expressing profound appreciation to President Tinubu for his steadfast support and strategic investment in expanding the Nigerian Army’s operational capabilities.
“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,” Anele quoted the Army Chief as saying.
She added that the COAS expressed confidence that the expanded force structure would significantly enhance command and control, improve operational coordination, strengthen border security, facilitate faster deployment of troops and resources, and increase the Army’s capacity to respond decisively to emerging and evolving security threats across the country.
According to Anele, the expanded structure is also expected to bolster joint and multi-agency operations, reinforce national stability and contribute substantially to the restoration of lasting peace and security nationwide.
(vitalnewsngr.com)
