Like Father, Like Son: Meet Idoma Generals following their fathers’ footsteps in Nigerian Army

For some families, military service is more than a career; it becomes a tradition passed from one generation to another, IDOMA VOICE reports.

Among the Idoma people of Benue State, the families of retired Major Generals Geoffrey Ejiga and Lawrence Onoja stand out as examples of fathers whose sons followed their footsteps into the Nigerian Army and rose to the enviable rank of General.

Today, Brigadier General O. N. Ejiga and Major General Michael Onoja are serving officers of the Nigerian Army, continuing military legacies established by their fathers several decades ago.

Interestingly, both fathers rose to the rank of Major General before retirement, while their sons have also climbed to the upper echelon of the Nigerian Army.

Brig Gen O. N. Ejiga — following Maj Gen Geoffrey Ejiga’s path

Brigadier General O. N. Ejiga, the current Commandant of the Nigerian Military School, NMS, Zaria, is the son of retired Major General Geoffrey Obiaje Ejiga, one of the prominent Idoma officers of his generation.

The younger Ejiga assumed command of the Nigerian Military School in January 2025, placing him at the helm of one of Nigeria’s foremost military training institutions.

His position carries an interesting historical significance when viewed against his father’s military career.

Maj Gen Geoffrey Ejiga, who hails from Adoka in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State, joined the military in 1961 and was commissioned into the Nigerian Army in 1963.

He went on to hold several strategic appointments during his career.

Among them, Ejiga served as the first Commandant of the Command and Staff College, Jaji, between 1975 and 1978. He was also Adjutant General of the Nigerian Army and General Officer Commanding the 3rd Armoured Division.

He later became the first Commandant of the Training and Doctrine Command, TRADOC, and also commanded the Organisation of African Unity force in Chad.

He retired from the Nigerian Army as a Major General in 1984.

Decades after the senior Ejiga hung up his military uniform, his son remains in active service.

Brig Gen O. N. Ejiga’s current responsibility as Commandant of NMS is particularly notable because it places him in charge of an institution dedicated to moulding young Nigerians through academic and military training.

The Ejiga story is therefore one of military service stretching across generations — from Maj Gen Geoffrey Ejiga to his son, Brig Gen O. N. Ejiga.

Maj Gen Michael Onoja — attaining his father’s rank

The story of Major General Michael Onoja bears a striking similarity.

The currently serving Nigerian Army General is the son of retired Major General Lawrence Anebi Onoja, another prominent Idoma military officer.

Maj Gen Lawrence Onoja, who hails from Idekpa-Okpiko in Ohimini Local Government Area of Benue State, had an illustrious military career that saw him rise through the ranks of the Nigerian Army to Major General.

He was commissioned into the Nigerian Army in 1968 and subsequently held several senior military and public appointments.

Perhaps among the positions for which the elder Onoja is most remembered was his appointment as military governor of Plateau State during the military administration of General Ibrahim Babangida.

He later served as military governor of Katsina State.

Years after the elder Onoja’s rise through the Nigerian Army, his son, Michael, followed the same path.

Michael Onoja’s progression through the senior officer cadre attracted public attention in 2019 when he was promoted from Colonel to Brigadier General.

At the time, he was Commander of the 1 Military Intelligence Brigade in Kaduna.

He subsequently continued his rise through the Army and attained the rank of Major General — the same two-star rank achieved by his father.

Maj Gen Michael Onoja is currently serving at Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters as Director of Defence Media Operations, where he plays a strategic role in communicating the activities and operations of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.

His attainment of the rank of Major General makes the Onojas an unusual example of an Idoma father and son who have both risen to the two-star rank in the Nigerian Army.

Carrying on their fathers’ legacies

The stories of Brig Gen O. N. Ejiga and Maj Gen Michael Onoja provide a fascinating glimpse into a largely undocumented aspect of Idoma military history.

Both men grew up with fathers who had reached some of the highest levels of the Nigerian Army, IDOMA VOICE reports.

But rather than merely living under the shadows of those famous military names, the younger Ejiga and Onoja chose the same profession and have carved out distinguished careers of their own.

While Maj Gen Geoffrey Ejiga and Maj Gen Lawrence Onoja have long retired from active military service, their sons remain in uniform.

In the case of the Ejigas, a retired Major General has produced a son who is now a Brigadier General and Commandant of the Nigerian Military School.

For the Onojas, the generational progression has gone even further: father and son have both attained the rank of Major General.

Beyond their individual accomplishments, the two families represent a tradition of service that has survived across generations.

They also form part of a much broader story of the contribution of Idoma sons and daughters to the Nigerian Armed Forces — a history stretching from the country’s early post-independence military years to the present day.

For the Ejigas and Onojas, however, the expression “like father, like son” has taken on a particularly fitting meaning.

Their fathers wore the uniform, became generals and served Nigeria.

Today, their sons are following the same path.