Full List Of Chiefs Of Army Staff Since 1966

[Enioluwa Adeniyi]

President Bola Tinubu has appointed Major General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede as the acting Chief of Army Staff, filling the role temporarily while Lt. General Taoreed Lagbaja receives treatment abroad for an undisclosed illness.​

Oluyede, the 56th Commander of the elite Infantry Corps of the Nigerian Army in Jaji, Kaduna, will serve in an acting capacity until Lagbaja’s return.

A distinguished officer, Oluyede was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1992, with his military service effective from 1987. He achieved the rank of Major-General in September 2020 and is recognized for his leadership in the Infantry Corps.

The position of Chief of Army Staff, a senior military role appointed by the President, carries significant responsibility in shaping and implementing policies for national security.

The COAS reports to the Chief of Defence Staff, who then reports to the Defence Minister, ultimately accountable to the President.

Major General Oluyede becomes the 28th individual to hold the Chief of Army Staff title since its establishment in 1966.

Below is the timeline of the tenures of Nigeria’s army chiefs since the first officer in 1966:

January 1966 – July 1979: The event of January 15, 1966 brought changes to the military and system of government. The army sacked the civilian administration after killing Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa and top politicians in the country and took power with Aguiyi-Ironsi as the head of state.

In the event of Nigeria’s first coup, the military had its first chief of army staff, Yakubu Gowon.

Joseph Akahan succeeded Gowon as Nigeria’s army chief shortly before the outbreak of Nigeria’s civil war.

At the heat of the civil war, Hassan Katsina, a major general, was appointed as the chief of army staff in 1968, a position he held for almost three years.

David Ejoor succeeded him in 1971.

Theophilus Danjuma became the chief of army staff to the head of state Olusegun Obasanjo in 1975. Danjuma is the fourth longest-serving chief of army staff.

October 1979 – August 1990: Ipoola Akinrinade succeeded Danjuma as the chief of army staff in 1979. He served as the first army chief in Nigeria’s Second Republic.

Gibson Jalo, a lieutenant general, replaced Akinrinade as the military chief. Jalo had held several positions in the military before his appointment. He served under the Shehu Shagari administration.

In 1981, Mohammed Wushishi was appointed as the chief of army staff having chaired several councils in the military command.

Ibrahim Babangida took over as army boss after orchestrating the coup d’etat of 1983 and 1985. Babaganda spent less than two years as the chief of army staff before he led a coup to topple Buhari in 1985.

Once Babangida seized power, Sani Abacha, a close ally, was appointed as the chief of army staff.

Abacha later served as a Defence Minister in 1990 under the same Babangida regime.

August 1990 – 1999: Abacha ceded his position to Salihu Ibrahim in 1990.

Aliyu Gusau and Chris Alli are other members of Babangida’s crew that served as army chiefs between 1993 and 1994.

Similarly, Alwali Kazir and Ishaya Bamaiyi held the position under the Abacha regime. Bamaiyi retired in 1999 at the inception of Nigeria’s fourth republic.

May 1999 – September 2010: The restoration of democracy in 1999 saw the installation of Victor Malu as the chief of army staff.

Aside from Malu, President Obasanjo appointed three chiefs of army staff under his administration. They include Alex Ogomudia, Martin Agwai and Owoye Azazi.

Less than one month into his inauguration as President, Umaru Yar’Adua appointed Luka Yusuf as chief of army staff.

In 2008, Yar’Adua appointed Abdulrahman Dambazau as the chief of army staff.

September 2010 – May 2021: Goodluck Jonathan appointed Azubuike Ihejerika as the Army chief to serve between 2010 and 2014.

In 2014, Jonathan appointed Kenneth Minimah to replace Ihejerika as the chief of army staff.

Tukur Buratai, Nigeria’s longest-serving chief of army staff, was appointed in July 2015 by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Buratai, a lieutenant general, resigned in January 2021.

President Muhammadu Buhari appointed Attahiru as the 25th chief of Army Staff on January 26 alongside other service chiefs.

Attahiru died four months after being appointed to the post.

President Buhari approved the appointment of Farouk Yahaya as the 26th Chief of Army Staff in May 2021.

Lieutenant General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja was appointed on 19 June 2023 by President Bola Tinubu to succeed Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya as the 27th Chief of Army Staff of Nigeria.

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