President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved sweeping changes to Nigeria’s top military command structure, naming new service chiefs in a move aimed at recalibrating security leadership nationwide. The appointments take effect immediately, per a statement from the presidency.
In the shakeup, Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede was elevated to Chief of Defence Staff, succeeding General Christopher Musa. Major General W. Shaibu becomes Chief of Army Staff, Air Vice Marshal S. K. Aneke is appointed Chief of Air Staff, and Rear Admiral I. Abbas is named Chief of Naval Staff. Major General E.A.P. Undiendeye retains his role as Chief of Defence Intelligence.
President Tinubu lauded the outgoing chiefs for their dedication, thanking them for “patriotic service and leadership.” He tasked the newly appointed officers to defend the country’s territorial integrity, enhance collaboration among services, and intensify operations against insurgents, banditry and separatist threats.
Security analysts see the changes as a response to intensifying threats across multiple fronts — including Islamic insurgents in the northeast, large-scale banditry in northwest zones, and rising tensions in the southeast. Some have speculated that the revisions also reflect internal recalibrations among power blocs within the military and to align strategic command with the President’s security vision. The transitions are widely viewed as an early test of the new chiefs’ leadership, as they assume control amid escalating security challenges.
