The Army Council has approved the promotion of 105 senior officers , made up of 28 Brigadier Generals to the rank of Major Generals and 77 Colonels to the rank of Brigadier Generals.
Nigerian Army Spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Appolonia Anele, announced this in Abuja on Friday.
She said the Army Council also conferred a posthumous promotion on Brigadier General ZA Saidu.
Among those elevated to Major General are officers holding key national security and intelligence roles, including Brigadier General O. Adegbe of the Defence Intelligence Agency; Brigadier General SM Uba, Director Defence Information at the Defence Headquarters, Brigadier General RE Hedima, Acting Chief of Military Intelligence (Army); and Brigadier General RT Utsaha, Deputy Director of Defence Operations.
Others promoted include Brigadier Generals AM Umar, Commandant of the Warrant Officer Academy; S Sulaiman, Deputy Military Secretary (Army); IO Bassey, Director of the Nigerian Army Operations Centre; and CA Ekeator of the Nigerian Army School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering.
Senior officers responsible for logistics, procurement, signals and counter-insurgency operations were also elevated. They include Brigadier General SY Yakasai, Acting Director of Procurement in the Office of the Chief of Army Staff; Brigadier General WL Nzidee from the Department of Army Logistics; Brigadier General SA Emmanuel of the Nigerian Army Signals; Brigadier General SS Tilawan, Acting Commander Sector 3 under Operation Hadin Kai; Brigadier General MO Agi of the Nigerian Defence Academy; and Brigadier General IM Abbas, Commander 34 Brigade.
The Army Council also approved the promotion of 77 Colonels to Brigadier General across a broad range of commands, training institutions, intelligence units, medical services and operational theatres.
They include Colonels Y. Ibrahim of the Nigerian Army Resource Centre; NN Gambo of the Department of Civil-Military Affairs; A. Saidu of the Army Finance Corps; A Ali of Army Headquarters Garrison; and I Waziri from the Office of the Chief of Defence Staff.
Officers serving in strategic institutions such as the Armed Forces Command and Staff College Jaji, the Nigerian Army Dog Centre, multiple Army medical facilities, and several Joint Task Forces, including Operations WHIRL STROKE and HADIN KAI were also elevated.
Those beneficiaries include; Colonels MM Sani of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College Jaji; AA Alkali of the Nigerian Army Dog Centre; AO Ndah of the Army Headquarters Department of Army Training; IB Sheriff of Headquarters 9 Brigade; KR Apata of the Army Headquarters Provost Group; MK Akpuogwu of Headquarters Joint Task Force Operation WHIRL STROKE; PU Nnaji of the Nigerian Army Operations Monitoring Support Team;
MT Nagudu of the Nigerian Army Armour School; KO Bukoye, Commander 401 Special Forces Brigade; O Adole of Headquarters Nigerian Army Medical Corps; JA Ikagba of 68 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital; DC Ibeh of the 8 Division Medical Services and Hospital;
GS Chohwore of 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital; OG Okoye of the Nigerian Army Reference Hospital;
and YK Audu of Headquarters Joint Task Force North East Operation HADIN KAI.
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, congratulated the newly promoted officers and urged them to demonstrate unquestionable professionalism in their duties.
He challenged the officers to justify their new ranks through exemplary leadership, innovation and decisive action in responding to Nigeria’s evolving security landscape.
General Shaibu reminded them of their constitutional responsibilities, emphasising that their loyalty to the Federal Republic of Nigeria “must remain absolute, unwavering and beyond reproach.”