Chief of Army Staff | |
---|---|
since 30 October 2024 | |
Nigerian Army | |
Abbreviation | COAS |
Member of |
|
Reports to | Chief of Defence Staff |
Seat | Nigerian Army Headquarters, Abuja |
Appointer | President of Nigeria |
Inaugural holder | Kenneth G. Exham Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi (indigenous) |
Formation | 1956 |
The chief of army staff (COAS) has been the title of the professional head of the Nigerian Army since 1966. [1] Prior to 1966, the title was General Officer Commanding, Nigerian Army (GOCNA). Since 1980, the post has been immediately subordinate to the chief of defence staff, the post held by the head of the Nigerian Armed Forces. The position is often occupied by the most senior officer appointed by the president. [2]
The current chief of army staff (acting) is Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, who succeeded Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, who died in office in November 2024. [3]
In the chain of command, the chief of army staff reports to the chief of defence staff, who in turn reports to the defence minister, accountable to the president of Nigeria. [4] The statutory duty of the officer is to formulate and execute policies towards the highest attainment of national security and operational competence of the Nigerian Army. [5]
Following is a chronological list of officers holding the position of General Officer Commanding (GOC) or Chief of Army Staff (COAS). [6]
No. | Portrait | General Officer Commanding | Took office | Left office | Time in office |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Kenneth G. Exham | Major general1956 | 1959 | 2–3 years | |
2 | Norman Foster | Major general1959 | 1963 | 3–4 years | |
3 | John Alexander Mackenzie | Major general1963 | 1963 | 0 years | |
4 | Sir Christopher Welby-Everard (1909–1996) | Major general1963 | February 1965 | 1–2 years | |
5 | Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi (1924–1966) Later military ruler | Major generalFebruary 1965 | 15 January 1966 | 0–1 years |
No. | Portrait | Chief of Army Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Yakubu Gowon FSS (born 1934) Later military ruler | Lieutenant colonelJanuary 1966 | July 1966 | 6 months | [ citation needed ] | |
2 | Joseph Akahan OFR FSS (1937–1968) | Lieutenant colonelJuly 1966 | May 1968 † | 1 year, 9 months | [ citation needed ] | |
3 | Hassan Katsina RCDS, PSC (1933–1995) | Major generalMay 1968 | January 1971 | 2 years, 8 months | [ citation needed ] | |
4 | David Ejoor (1932–2019) | Major generalJanuary 1971 | July 1975 | 4 years, 6 months | [ citation needed ] | |
5 | Theophilus Danjuma (born 1938) | Lieutenant generalJuly 1975 | October 1979 | 4 years, 3 months | [ citation needed ] | |
6 | Ipoola Alani Akinrinade CFR FSS (born 1939) later Chief of Defence Staff | Lieutenant generalOctober 1979 | April 1980 | 6 months | [ citation needed ] | |
7 | Gibson Jalo CFR FSS , JSS (1939–2000) later Chief of Defence Staff | Lieutenant generalApril 1980 | October 1981 | 1 year, 6 months | [ citation needed ] | |
8 | Inua Wushishi CFR FSS (1940–2021) | Lieutenant generalOctober 1981 | October 1983 | 2 years | [ citation needed ] | |
9 | Ibrahim Babangida (born 1941) Later military ruler | Major generalJanuary 1984 | August 1985 | 1 year, 7 months | [ citation needed ] | |
10 | Sani Abacha GCON , DSS, mni (1943–1998) Later military ruler | Lieutenant generalAugust 1985 | August 1990 | 5 years | [ citation needed ] | |
11 | Salihu Ibrahim FSS , FHWC (1935–2018) | Lieutenant generalAugust 1990 | September 1993 | 3 years, 1 month | [ citation needed ] | |
12 | Aliyu Mohammed Gusau DSS, rcds (born 1943) | Lieutenant generalSeptember 1993 | November 1993 | 2 months | [ citation needed ] | |
13 | Chris Alli CRG, DSS, ndc, psc(+) (1944–2023) | Major generalNovember 1993 | August 1994 | 9 months | [ citation needed ] | |
14 | Alwali Kazir DSS, Usawc, psc(+) (born 1947) | Major generalAugust 1994 | March 1996 | 1 year, 7 months | [ citation needed ] | |
15 | Ishaya Bamaiyi DSS, Usawc, psc(+) (born 1949) | Lieutenant generalMarch 1996 | May 1999 | 3 years, 2 months | [ citation needed ] | |
16 | Victor Malu DSS, mni, fwc, psc (1947–2017) | Lieutenant generalMay 1999 | April 2001 | 1 year, 11 months | [ citation needed ] | |
17 | Alexander Ogomudia (born 1949) Later Chief of Defence Staff | Lieutenant generalApril 2001 | June 2003 | 2 years, 2 months | [ citation needed ] | |
18 | Martin Luther Agwai (born 1948) Later Chief of Defence Staff | Lieutenant generalJune 2003 | June 2006 | 3 years | [ citation needed ] | |
19 | Owoye Andrew Azazi (1952–2012) Later Chief of Defence Staff | Lieutenant general1 June 2006 | May 2007 | 11 months | [ citation needed ] | |
20 | Luka Yusuf CFR, GSS, GPP, DSO, psc(+), fwc, Msc (1952–2009) | Lieutenant generalJune 2007 | August 2008 | 1 year, 3 months | [ citation needed ] | |
21 | Abdulrahman Dambazau CFR, GSS, psc, ndc, fwc(+) (born 1954) | Lieutenant generalAugust 2008 | September 2010 | 2 years, 1 month | [ citation needed ] | |
22 | Azubuike Ihejirika CFR, GSS, psc(+), fwc, fniqs (born 1956) | Lieutenant generalSeptember 2010 | January 2014 | 3 years, 4 months | [7] | |
23 | Kenneth Minimah GSS, psc(+), fwc (born 1959) | Lieutenant generalJanuary 2014 | July 2015 | 1 year, 6 months | https://punchng.com/tinubu-promotes-acting-coas-oluyede-to-lieutenant-general/ | |
24 | Tukur Yusuf Buratai NAM, GSS, psc(+), ndc (BD) (born 1960) | Lieutenant general16 July 2015 | 28 January 2021 | 5 years, 6 months | [8] | |
25 | Ibrahim Attahiru (1966–2021) | Lieutenant general28 January 2021 | 21 May 2021 † | 3 months | [9] [10] | |
26 | Faruk Yahaya (born 1966) | Lieutenant general27 May 2021 | 23 June 2023 | 2 years | [11] [12] | |
27 | Taoreed Lagbaja (1968–2024) | Lieutenant general23 June 2023 | 5 November 2024 | 1 year, 4 months | [13] | |
28 | Olufemi Oluyede (born 1968) | Lieutenant general30 October 2024 | Incumbent | 1 month | [14] |
Source: [15]
The Nigerian Armed Forces (NAF) are the military forces of Nigeria. The forces consist of three service branches: the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, and Nigerian Air Force. The President of Nigeria functions as the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, exercising his constitutional authority through the Ministry of Defence, which is responsible for the management of the military and its personnel. The operational head of the AFN is the Chief of Defence Staff, who is subordinate to the Nigerian Defence Minister. With a force of more than 230,000 active personnel, the Nigerian military is one of the largest uniformed combat services in Africa. According to Global Firepower, the Nigerian Armed Forces are the fourth-most powerful military in Africa, and ranked 35th on its list, internationally.
The president of Nigeria, officially the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is the head of state and head of government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The president directs the executive branch of the Federal Government and is the commander-in-chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces.
Shehu Musa Yar'Adua ; 5 March 1943 – 8 December 1997) was a Nigerian general and politician who was the de facto vice president of Nigeria as Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters when Nigeria was under military rule from 1976 to 1979. He was a prominent politician during the later transition from military to civilian rule in the late 1980s and into the 1990s.
Nuhu Ribadu mni is a Nigerian politician and retired police officer who has served as the National Security Adviser to President Bola Tinubu.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is a Nigerian law enforcement and anti-graft agency that investigates financial crimes and unknown transactions such as advance fee fraud and money laundering. The EFCC was established in 2003, partially in response to pressure from the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering (FATF), which named Nigeria as one of 23 countries non-cooperative in the international community's efforts to fight money laundering. The agency has its head office in Abuja, Nigeria. The EFCC was also set up to fight against corruption and protect the country from economic saboteurs.
The Nigerian Army Officers’ Wives Association (NAOWA) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization with the objectives of assisting the poor and the needy and raising the standard of living in the barracks of the nation. Since its establishment over four decades ago, NAOWA has been in the vanguard of the provision of community health centres to complement the health care delivery services and carefully designed welfare programmes that are targeted at women, youths, children and the less privileged in Nigeria. The organisation has been described as "the most powerful women's organisation in the country".
Salihu Ibrahim FSS, FHWC was a Nigerian army general who was Chief of Army Staff from August 1990 until September 1993 during the military regime of General Ibrahim Babangida.
The Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) is one of two orders of merit, established by the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 1963. It is senior to the Order of the Niger.
Azubuike Ihejirika, GSS psc(+) fwc fniqs is a retired Nigerian Army Lieutenant general and former Chief of Army Staff.
Kenneth Minimah, GSS, psc(+), fwc is a retired Nigerian army lieutenant general who served as Nigeria's Chief of Army Staff (COAS).
Mohammed Babagana Monguno is a Nigerian retired military general who served as National Security Adviser from 2015 to 2023. He was the Chief of Defence Intelligence from July 2009 to September 2011; and the Commander of the Brigade of Guards from 2007 to 2009.
Tukur Yusuf Burataipsc(+) NAM GSS ndc (BD) is a retired Nigerian army lieutenant general, former Chief of Army Staff, and Nigeria's Ambassador to the Republic of Benin. He was commissioned into the Nigerian Army in 1983 and has had multiple command, administrative, and instructional appointments.
Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakinpsc(+) GSS CMH fwc is a retired Nigerian Army general, former Chief of Defence Staff, and current Nigerian Ambassador to the Republic of Cameroon. He was appointed to the position of Chief of Defence Staff on 13 July 2015 by President Muhammadu Buhari. He resigned from office on 29 January 2021.
The chief of the naval staff (CNS) is the military head and highest ranking military officer of the Nigerian Navy. The chief of the naval staff is usually the highest ranking and most senior admiral to serve in the Nigerian Armed Forces unless the chief of defence staff is a naval officer. The position is often occupied by the most senior commissioned officer appointed by the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria. The chief of the naval staff reports to the chief of defence staff, who also reports to the defence minister. The Statutory duty of the Officer is to formulate and execute policies towards the highest attainment of National Security and operational competence of the Nigerian Navy.
Brigadier General Abdulrahman Kuliya was a Nigerian military officer. He died in a military plane crash alongside the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru and 9 other military officers on active service.
Faruk Yahayapsc(+) NAM GSS ndc (Chile) FCMH GSMH MIAD is a retired Nigerian army lieutenant general and a former Chief of Army Staff of Nigeria, appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari on 27 May 2021. after the death of the former Chief of Army Staff, Ibrahim Attahiru who died in the Beechcraft King Air 350i plane crash near Kaduna International Airport.
Lieutenant general, is the second-highest rank of the Nigerian Army and generally it is the highest active rank as the Nigerian army do not have any appointment in the rank of full general but in the case of the appointment of Chief of Defence Staff, the rank of full general is given. It is the equivalent of a multinational three-star rank.
General Christopher Gwabin Musa is a Nigerian Army general who is the 18th Chief of Defence Staff of Nigeria. He was appointed by President Bola Tinubu on 19 June 2023.
Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja was a Nigerian Army lieutenant general who served as the Chief of Army Staff of Nigeria from June 2023 to November 2024. He was appointed on 19 June 2023 by President Bola Tinubu to succeed Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya.
Lieutenant General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede is a senior Nigerian Army officer currently serving as the Acting Chief of Army Staff (COAS) of Nigeria. He was appointed to the role by President Bola Tinubu, temporarily filling the position during the indisposition of Lt. General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja. Prior to this, Oluyede served as the 56th commander of the Infantry Corps of the Nigerian Army in Jaji, Kaduna. His appointment was then confirmed as the substantive Chief of Army Staff by the Senate following the adoption of the Committee on Army’s report on the Oluyede screening at the plenary on Tuesday, December 3.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)