In a decisive move aimed at strengthening national security architecture, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reshuffled Service Chiefs by approving major changes in the leadership of the Armed Forces, and appointing new ones.
A statement on Friday by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Chief Sunday Dare, said the President named former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Olufemi Oluyede as the new Chief of Defence Staff, replacing General Christopher Musa.
Major-General W. Shaibu has been appointed Chief of Army Staff, Air Vice Marshal S.K. Aneke takes over as Chief of Air Staff, while Rear Admiral I. Abbas is the new Chief of Naval Staff.
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The Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major-General E.A.P. Undiendeye, retains his position.
All appointments, the statement said, take immediate effect.
President Tinubu, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, expressed deep appreciation to the outgoing Chief of Defence Staff, General Musa, and other retired Service Chiefs for their “patriotic service and dedicated leadership” during their tenure.
He charged the newly appointed military heads to justify the confidence reposed in them by demonstrating “enhanced professionalism, vigilance, and comradeship” in the discharge of their duties.
The shake-up in the military hierarchy comes as part of ongoing efforts by the Tinubu administration to reposition the security sector, improve coordination among the services, and sustain momentum in the fight against terrorism, banditry, and other security challenges across the country.
Military begins probe of officers for alleged coup plot
Meanwhile, the Nigerian military authorities have set up a panel to investigate about 20 officers detained over an alleged plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu.
Sahara Reporters newspaper broke the news that 16 officers, including a brigadier general and a colonel, were arrested in late September following intelligence that they were holding secret meetings and expressing discontent with the administration.
“The plotters had tentatively picked a date for the coup and were continuing consultations when the coup plot leaked.”
“The report is true,” a military source familiar with the matter said to PREMIUM TIMES after the report. More have been picked up since the initial arrests.”
The source said the officers allegedly planned a bloody putsch in which some top government officials were marked for assassination.
“The alleged coup plotters had tentatively picked a date for the coup and were continuing consultations when the plot leaked.”
“The coup plot caused panic in government after it was leaked because the military high command had repeatedly assured the government of the military’s loyalty to the administration and civil authorities,” the officer told our newspaper.
“Out of that panic, the government cancelled the National Independence Day parade on October 1, because it was a military ceremony and they did not want to take any risk.”
An investigative panel, the source added, has been constituted by the military to probe what authorities describe as “indiscipline and breach of service regulations.”
The membership of the investigative panel is unclear at this point. Still, our sources said the three arms of the military (army, air force and navy), the police and the State Security Service are well represented in the body.
One source said the panel has been meeting for the past week but declined to disclose the committee’s sitting venues.
Although the Defence Headquarters did not directly confirm a coup plot, its spokesperson, Tukur Gusau, a brigadier-general, said on 4 October, “sixteen officers were being investigated for indiscipline and breach of service regulations.”
However, other military insiders confirmed to PREMIUM TIMES that the arrests were tied to the alleged plan to depose the Tinubu administration.
“The intelligence pointed to plans to destabilise the government,” one official said.
“Some officers were reportedly holding meetings to discuss a possible takeover.”
The development came a year after Nigerians, protesting growing economic hardship, called for a military takeover. It also occurred shortly before a military coup rocked Madagascar, making it the ninth coup d’état in Africa since 2020.
“Apart from the Guard of Honour at the airport, there have been no major parades since the alleged plot was uncovered,” another officer said.
The suspects are being held at an undisclosed military installation in Abuja.
According to Defence spokesperson, Mr Gusau, preliminary findings indicated that the detained officers’ grievances stemmed from “career stagnation and failure in promotion examinations.”
