The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has approved the appointment of General Officers Commanding (GOCs) for newly established Nigerian Army divisions following the Federal Government’s expansion of the Army’s command structure to strengthen operations across the country.
The appointments followed President Bola Tinubu’s approval for the creation of four additional Nigerian Army divisions to enhance operational capacity, command and control, and response to emerging security challenges.
In a post on its official X handle on Wednesday, the Nigerian Army said the new formations would begin operations after attaining Initial Operational Capability, while deliberate measures would be taken to achieve Full Operational Capability.
It described the development as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the Army’s force structure, expand its operational footprint and improve it’s capacity to respond effectively to the nation’s evolving security challenges.
According to the Army, the phased activation of the new divisions was designed to ensure seamless operationalisation, operational continuity and rapid force projection across the country.
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 Makurdi will take responsibility for Benue, Nasarawa and Kogi States.
The 6 Division Port Harcourt will oversee Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River States, while the 7 Division Maiduguri will remain responsible for Borno and Yobe States.
The 8 Division Sokoto will continue to cover Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara States.
The newly created 9 Division, headquartered in Ilorin, will be responsible for Kwara and Niger States, while the 10 Division Jalingo will oversee border areas of Taraba and Adamawa States.
The 81 Division Lagos will continue to cover Lagos and Ogun States, while the 82 Division Enugu will retain responsibility for Enugu, Anambra, Abia, Ebonyi and Imo States.
The 83 Division Benin City is expected to cover Edo, Delta and Bayelsa States when activated later in the year.
To lead the new formations, Lieutenant General Shaibu approved the appointment of senior officers with operational experience.
Major General Yakubu Yahaya has been appointed General Officer Commanding 9 Division Ilorin and Commander of Operation SAVANNA SHIELD following his redeployment from Headquarters Joint Task Force (North Central).
Major General Chinedu Ralph Nnebeife has been appointed GOC 10 Division Jalingo after his redeployment from Headquarters 2 Division/Sector 3 Joint Task Force (North West), Operation FANSAN YAMMA.
Major General Moses Gara has also been appointed GOC 5 Division Makurdi and Commander of Joint Task Force Operation WHIRL STROKE after his redeployment from the task force headquarters.
The Army said the appointments and restructuring would enhance operational effectiveness, strengthen command and control and ensure faster responses to security threats.
The military added that the expansion aligns with its broader objective of building a more effective and responsive force capable of addressing Nigeria’s security challenges.
