Nigerian Army new divisions…

The Chief of Army Staff , Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has approved the appointment of general officers commanding for the army’s four newly established divisions.

Key Highlights

• The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu, has approved the appointment of GOCs for four newly established Army divisions.
• The new divisions were created following President Bola Tinubu’s approval as part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s military response to security threats.
• The newly established formations are 5 Division Makurdi, 9 Division Ilorin, 10 Division Jalingo, and 83 Division Benin City.
• Major General Moses Gara has been appointed GOC 5 Division Makurdi and Commander of Operation WHIRL STROKE.
• Major General Yakubu Yahaya will lead 9 Division Ilorin and serve as Commander of Operation SAVANNA SHIELD.

The appointments come after President Bola Tinubu authorized the establishment of the new divisions as part of ongoing military reforms designed to enhance operational effectiveness, improve command and control, and bolster the army’s capacity to tackle evolving security threats across Nigeria.

According to a statement shared by the army on its official X handle on Wednesday, the newly created formations will commence operations once they attain initial operational capability, with plans already in place to progressively achieve full operational capability.

The army described the expansion as a major milestone in its ongoing transformation, noting that the additional divisions would deepen its operational footprint, improve force projection, and ensure quicker responses to security challenges nationwide.

Under the revised command structure, 1 Division Kaduna will oversee Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, and Jigawa States, while 2 Division Ibadan will be responsible for Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, and Ondo States.

3 Division Jos will cover Plateau, Bauchi, and Gombe States, while the newly established 5 Division Makurdi will oversee Benue, Nasarawa, and Kogi states.

Similarly, 6 Division Port Harcourt will retain responsibility for Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River States, while 7 Division Maiduguri will continue to oversee Borno and Yobe States.

8 Division Sokoto will remain in charge of Sokoto, Kebbi, and Zamfara States.

Among the newly created formations, 9 Division Ilorin will supervise Kwara and Niger States, while 10 Division Jalingo will oversee the border areas of Taraba and Adamawa States.

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The 81 Division Lagos will continue to cover Lagos and Ogun States, while 82 Division Enugu retains responsibility for Enugu, Anambra, Abia, Ebonyi, and Imo States.

The army also disclosed that the 83 Division Benin City, expected to become operational later this year, will oversee Edo, Delta, and Bayelsa States.

To lead the new formations, the chief of army staff approved the deployment of senior officers with extensive operational experience.

Major General Yakubu Yahaya has been appointed General Officer Commanding 9 Division Ilorin and Commander of Operation SAVANNA SHIELD after his redeployment from the Headquarters Joint Task Force (North Central).

Major General Chinedu Ralph Nnebeife will serve as GOC 10 Division Jalingoz following his redeployment from Headquarters 2 Division/Sector 3 Joint Task Force (North West), Operation FANSAN YAMMA.

Major General Moses Gara has been appointed GOC 5 Division Makurdi and Commander of Operation WHIRL STROKE, having been redeployed from the Joint Task Force headquarters.

The army said the restructuring is expected to improve operational efficiency, strengthen command and control, and ensure faster deployment of troops in response to security threats across the country.

It added that the phased activation of the new divisions is intended to guarantee seamless operationalisation while building a more responsive and effective force capable of addressing Nigeria’s evolving security challenges.