Chief of Army Staff | |
---|---|
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 professional head of the Nigerian Armed Forces. The position is often occupied by the most senior commissioned officer appointed by the President of Nigeria. [2]
The current Chief of Army Staff is Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, who succeeded Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya, in June 2023.
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. [3] 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. [4]
Following is a chronological list of officers holding the position of General Officer Commanding (GOC) or Chief of Army Staff (COAS). [5]
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 | [6] | |
23 | Kenneth Minimah GSS, psc(+), fwc (born 1959) | Lieutenant generalJanuary 2014 | July 2015 | 1 year, 6 months | [7] | |
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 (born 1968) | Lieutenant general23 June 2023 | Incumbent | 8 months | [13] |
The Nigerian Armed Forces (NAF) are the military forces of Nigeria. The armed 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 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.
Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida is a Nigerian retired general and statesman who served as military president of Nigeria from 1985 until his resignation in 1993. He rose through the ranks to serve from 1984 to 1985 as Chief of Army Staff, going on to orchestrate his seizure of power in a coup d'état against Muhammadu Buhari.
The Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) is a military university based in Kaduna, Nigeria that trains officer cadets for commissioning into one of the three services of the Nigerian Armed Forces: the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force. The duration of training at the Nigerian Defence Academy is five years.
Mohammed Inuwa Wushishi was a Nigerian army lieutenant general who served as Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Nigeria from October 1981 to October 1983 during the Nigerian Second Republic.
Victor Samuel Leonard Malu DSS mni fwc psc was Nigeria's Chief of Army Staff (COAS) from 1999 to 2001 and Force Commander of the ECOMOG peace-keeping force in Liberia from 1996 to 1998.
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).
Adesola Nunayon AmosuDSSM DSS fwc psc is a retired air marshal of the Nigerian Air Force who served as the 19th Chief of the Air Staff of Nigeria.
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.
General Manoj Mukund Naravane, is a retired Indian Army General who served as the 28th Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), as well as the temporary Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee from 15 December 2021 until his superannuation on 30 April 2022. He took over as COAS from General Bipin Rawat on 31 December 2019 after the latter completed his term. Prior to his appointment as the COAS, the general served as the 40th Vice Chief of Army Staff (VCOAS) of the Indian Army, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) of Eastern Command and General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Army Training Command.
Ibrahim Attahirupsc(+) GSS CMH ndc (K) FCMH NAM was a Nigerian army lieutenant general who served as the Chief of Army Staff from 28 January 2021 to 21 May 2021 when he died in the 2021 NAF Beechcraft B300 King Air 350i crash near Kaduna International Airport.
Brigadier General Abdulrahman Kuliya was a Nigerian military officer. He died in a military plane crash including 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.
Dateline Nigeria is a private online newspaper published by StoryLand Media based in FCT Abuja that published English Language daily news. The paper is managed by Nasiru Lawal Abubakar as the editor and Lawan Danjuma Adamu, who was the pioneer Weekend Editor overseeing both Weekend Titles – Daily Trust on Saturday and Daily Trust on Sunday as the General Editor Both of them resigned from Daily Trust in 2020.
Lieutenant General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja is Nigerian Army lieutenant general who is the Chief of Army Staff of Nigeria. He was appointed on 19 June 2023 by President Bola Tinubu to succeed Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya.