By Harriet Tornguvan
The Army Council has approved the promotion of more than 100 senior officers of the Nigerian Army, a move seen as a major boost to the military’s leadership structure and ongoing national security efforts.
According to a statement issued by the Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Lieutenant Colonel Appolonia Anele, the Nigerian Army described the promotions as part of ongoing efforts to reinforce its operational efficiency and enhance strategic command structures nationwide.
About 28 Brigade Commanders and senior officers holding key intelligence, operational, and administrative roles were elevated from Brigadier General to Major General. In addition, 77 Colonels were promoted to the rank of Brigadier General.
Among those promoted to Major General are Brig Gen O. Adegbe of the Defence Intelligence Agency; Brig Gen S. M. Uba, Director of Defence Information; Brig Gen R. E. Hedima, Acting Chief of Military Intelligence (Army); and Brig Gen R. T. Utsaha, Deputy Director of Defence Operations. Also promoted are Brig Gen A. M. Umar, Commandant of the Warrant Officer Academy; Brig Gen S. Sulaiman, Deputy Military Secretary (Army); Brig Gen I. O. Bassey, Director of the Nigerian Army Operations Centre; and Brig Gen C. A. Ekeator of the Nigerian Army School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering.
Others on the list include Brig Gen S. Y. Yakasai, Acting Director of Procurement in the Office of the Chief of Army Staff; Brig Gen W. L. Nzidee of the Army Logistics Department; Brig Gen S. A. Emmanuel of the Nigerian Army Signals; Brig Gen S. S. Tilawan, Acting Commander of Sector 3, Joint Task Force North-East Operation HADIN KAI; Brig Gen M. O. Agi of the TETFund Desk at the Nigerian Defence Academy; and Brig Gen I. M. Abbas, Commander 34 Brigade. Brig Gen Z. A. Saidu was honoured with a posthumous promotion.
The Colonels promoted to Brigadier General include officers serving in critical formations and institutions such as the Nigerian Army Resource Centre, Army Headquarters Department of Civil-Military Affairs, Nigerian Army Finance Corps, Armed Forces Command and Staff College Jaji, Nigerian Army Dog Centre, Army Training Department, 9 Brigade, 401 Special Forces Brigade, various military hospitals, and Joint Task Force theatres, among others.
Congratulating the newly promoted officers, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, urged them to justify their elevation through heightened professionalism, visionary leadership, and unwavering commitment to national security.
“demonstrate exemplary leadership, inspire subordinates through personal conduct and cultivate bold, innovative and unconventional solutions capable of delivering swift and decisive responses to the nation’s evolving security threats, he added.
The COAS also reminded them of their constitutional obligation, stressing that their loyalty to the Federal Republic of Nigeria must remain absolute, unwavering, and beyond reproach.
