Insecurity: Army announces major shake-up, redeploys GOCs, appoints new PSOs, others

Nigerian Army has announced a major shake-up within its structure following the six-week ultimatum given to President Muhammadu Buhari by the senate to resolve the worsening insecurity situation in the country.

The shake-up also comes barely hours after Thursday’s emergency National Security Council meeting summoned by President Buhari over the worsening state insecurity in the country.

The meeting followed last Wednesday’s thwarted attempt by the country’s senate to commence impeachment proceedings against President Buhari over the same matter of insecurity.

The impeachment plot failed as the senate president, Ahmad Lawan refused to entertain deliberations earlier agreed upon by the senators during a closed-door involving all lawmakers some hours before the Wednesday plenary.

According to a statement by the Nigerian Army Director, Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, Thursday, in Abuja, Thursday, the new postings and appointments were done in an effort to reposition the army for operational efficiency.

The spokesperson said the Chief of Army Staff (CDS), Lt.-Gen. Faruk Yahaya, has approved the posting and appointment of some top officers to command, instructional and staff positions across formations and units.

He quoted the CDS as directing all the newly appointed senior officers to ‘redouble their effort and commitment to duty in tackling the security challenges bedeviling the nation, as they assume their new appointments.’

According to Gen. Nwachukwu, those affected in the redeployment include some Principal Staff Officers of the Army Headquarters, General Officers Commanding, Corps Commanders, Commandants of training institutions, Brigade Commanders, Commanding Officers, amongst others.

He said the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 81 Division, Maj.-Gen. Umaru Musa, had been redeployed to 82 as new GOC, while Maj.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja moves from 82 Division to 1 Division as new GOC.

The army spokesman said that Maj.-Gen. OC Ajunwa had been moved from Nigeria Defence Section in Brasilia to HQ 81 Division as GOC, while the Commandant, Depot Nigerian Army, Maj.-Gen. Aminu Chinade had been moved to 2 Division as GOC.

He also said that Maj.-Gen. OW Ali had been redeployed from Headquarters Command, Army Records, to AHQ as Chief of Administration (Army), while Maj.-Gen. S. Muhammed had been moved from Defence Headquarters to AHQ as Chief of Army Standards and Evaluation (Army).

“Maj.-Gen. James Ataguba moves from AHQ Department of Army Standards and Evaluation to Defence Headquarters and appointed, Director, Peace Keeping Operations, while Maj.-Gen. Adekunle Adesope from Army Finance Corps to DHQ and appointed as Chief of Defence, Accounts and Budget.

“Maj.-Gen. Usman Mohammed moves from Army Headquarters, Department of Administration, to Nigerian Army Resource Centre and appointment Senior Research Fellow.

“Other senior officers affected in the redeployment are Maj.-Gen. Preye Fakrogha, from DHQ Garrison to Defence Space Administration and appointed Director Policy, Plans and Research, while Maj.-Gen. MO Enendu moves from Nigerian Army College of Logistics to DHQ and appointed Director Psychological Warfare.

“Maj.-Gen. Adikwu Attu moves from DHQ Department of Training and Operations to DHQ Garrison and appointed Commander, while Maj.-Gen. Bernard Onyeuko moves from the Directorate of Defence Media Operations to DHQ Department of Logistics and appointed Director Procurement,” he said.

Nwachukwu added that Maj.-Gen. A.M Alabi had been appointed Corps Commander, Nigerian Army Ordnance Corps; Maj.-Gen. A Mohammed, Corps Commander, Nigerian Army Electrical Mechanical Engineers and Maj.-Gen. E Akerejola had been appointed Commander, Corps of Supply and Transport.

He said that Maj.-Gen. AA Fayemiwo had been redeployed from Nigerian Army Welfare Holdings Limited and appointed Chief of Accounts and Budget (Army).

“Senior officers newly appointed as Commandants of Nigerian Army training institutions are Maj.-Gen. P.I. Eze, Commandant, Nigerian Army Ordinance School; Maj.-Gen. AA Adeyinka, as Commandant, Nigerian Army College of Logistics and Maj.-Gen. P.P. Malla appointed Commandant, Depot, Nigerian Army, while Brig.-Gen. UT Otaru has been appointed Acting Commandant, Nigerian Army School of Supply and Transport,” he said.

Other appointments, according to Nwachukwu, are those of Brigade Commanders.

It would be recalled that while addressing journalists at the Senate Press Corps (SPC) Centre, immediately after the walkout, spokesperson for the senators, Wednesday, the Minority Leader, Senator Philip Aduda (PDP-FCT), said the lawmakers have resolved to give President Buhari a six-week ultimatum within which to end the insecurity in the country or face impeachment.

However, briefing newsmen at the State House after the emergency meeting of the National Security Council on Thursday in Abuja, National Security Adviser to the President, retired Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno, said Buhari had also expressed serious concern over the current security challenges facing some parts of the country and will stop at nothing to change the tide.

According to him, the meeting deliberated on recent security challenges bedeviling the country and made resolutions to review existing strategies in fighting the scourge.

“Today’s meeting was convened by the President as a continuation of the meeting that took place last week to discuss the technical issues and the taskings that were given to the various security agencies.

“The meeting deliberated on all those issues, after the brief by the National Security Adviser, which is usually the procedure.

“Again, Council deems it necessary to inform the general public, that fighting this type of asymmetric conflict is a collective effort. It’s not something that should be confined to only the security, intelligence and law enforcement agencies.

“When we keep saying whole of society approach, whole of government approach, to get a whole of national approach, what it means is that everybody has to partake in this enterprise.”

According to the NSA, no country can ever overcome the difficulties of an asymmetric conflict by virtue of the fact that the enemy of the state is embedded within the population within the wider society.

“It is true that the local people are averse, they’re scared, they’re worried and there’s no confidence.

“That is understandable. But without their support without the cooperation in terms of giving information, it makes it very hard for the operational elements.

“A few days ago, troops of the guards brigade were ambushed and decimated.

“Had there been a collective effort by way of just snippets of information we might have averted that incident, that is not to say that the responsibility is for those outside the security domain.

“It’s a collective responsibility,’’ he added.

While confirming how the president is reacting to the security situation, Monguno said: “We are in a very difficult situation. And Council understands. Mr. President understands people’s concerns about the growing insecurity.

“But I can assure you that there’s no straight cut and dried method of dealing with this thing unless all of us embrace each other.

“I know people are weary people are tired people are beginning to gravitate to other places for self-help. The truth is that help is rooted in everyone working for the other person.

“Again, the members of the armed forces have also made a commitment that in the coming weeks they have already started working on a new strategy to deal with these snippets of violence.

“They’ve given their word their commitment to the President, that there will be a change in momentum, regardless of the fact that there might be certain institutional limitations which they face. But they understood the enormity of the responsibilities that they have,’’ he added.

Others in attendance at that National ecurity Council meeting in Abuja included; the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami; Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyema; Minister of Police Affairs, Mohammed Dingyadi and the Minister of Defense, retired Maj-Gen. Bashir Magashi.

The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor, Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Farouk Yahaya; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo; the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Isiaka Oladayo Amao; and the Chief of Defense Intelligence, Maj.-Gen. Samuel Adebayo, were also in attendance.

The Inspector-General of Police, Alkali Usman; the Director-General of the Department of State Service (DSS), Yusuf Bichi; and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ahmed Abubakar also attended the meeting.