The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has approved the appointment of General Officers Commanding (GOCs) to the newly established Nigerian Army Divisions following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s approval for the creation of four additional divisions.
The appointments are part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the Nigerian Army’s force structure, expand its operational footprint, enhance command and control, and improve its capacity to tackle Nigeria’s evolving security challenges.
According to a statement by the Director of Army Public Relations, Lieutenant Colonel Appolonia Anele, the newly created divisions will commence operations in their respective locations upon attaining Initial Operational Capability (IOC), while measures are being implemented to ensure they achieve Full Operational Capability (FOC).
The Army explained that the phased operationalisation is designed to ensure seamless deployment, operational continuity, and rapid force projection across the country.
As part of the restructuring, the Nigerian Army has reorganised its divisional areas of responsibility. Under the new arrangement, the 1 Division, Kaduna, will oversee Kaduna, Kano, Katsina and Jigawa states, while the 2 Division, Ibadan, will be responsible for Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo states.
The 3 Division, Jos, will cover Plateau, Bauchi and Gombe states, while the newly established 5 Division, headquartered in Makurdi, will oversee Benue, Nasarawa and Kogi states.
Similarly, the 6 Division, Port Harcourt, will continue to cover Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states, while the 7 Division, Maiduguri, will be responsible for Borno and Yobe states. The 8 Division, Sokoto, retains responsibility for Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states.
The newly created 9 Division, with headquarters in Ilorin, will oversee Kwara and Niger states, while the 10 Division, headquartered in Jalingo, will be responsible for the border areas of Taraba and Adamawa states.
The 81 Division, Lagos, will continue to cover Lagos and Ogun states, while the 82 Division, Enugu, retains responsibility for Enugu, Anambra, Abia, Ebonyi and Imo states. The newly established 83 Division, with headquarters in Benin City, will cover Edo, Delta and Bayelsa states when it becomes operational later this year.
To provide leadership for the new formations, the COAS approved the deployment of senior officers as General Officers Commanding.
Major General Yakubu Yahaya has been redeployed from the Headquarters, Joint Task Force (North Central), Operation SAVANNA SHIELD, to Headquarters 9 Division, Ilorin, where he will serve as General Officer Commanding and Commander of Operation SAVANNA SHIELD.
Major General Chinedu Ralph Nnebeife has 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.
Also, Major General Moses Gara has been moved from Headquarters, Joint Task Force Operation WHIRL STROKE, to Headquarters 5 Division, Makurdi, where he assumes the dual role of General Officer Commanding and Commander of Operation WHIRL STROKE.
In addition, Major General Auwalu Mahmuda has been redeployed from the Army Headquarters Directorate of Inspection and Compliance to Headquarters 2 Division, Ibadan, as General Officer Commanding.
The Army also announced the activation of three new brigades to strengthen the operational effectiveness of the newly established divisions as part of its ongoing transformation efforts.
