Army shakeup: Generals, colonels, captains, others redeployed

In a major shakeup, the Nigerian Army has redeployed over a thousand of its officers to various new positions.

This may not be unconnected to the widespread call for the sack of the army chiefs who have exceeded their mandatory stay which will likely happen this year.

A total of 1,546 officers were redeployed, out of which 210 are generals. Others redeployed were 450 Colonels, 309 Majors, 251 Captains and 322 Lieutenants.

In a communication statement signed by GAT Ochigbano, a major general, all affected officers must take over immediately.

According to PremiumTimes, prominent among the redeployed officers is PI Eze, a major general, who was appointed Operation Lafiya Dole Theatre Land Component Commander in the North East region.

Military insiders say all the General Officers Commanding in the theatre will report directly to him, the Land Component Commander.

In the last three years, there has been a surge in kidnapping and banditry across the country. On many occasions, groups like the Islamic State’s West Africa Province and Boko Haram have terrorised the northern parts of the country for more than 10 years.

Although President Muhammadu Buhari has, on different occasions, claimed that the nation is winning the war against insurgency, this has not been the case as rampant killings in many parts of the country have proven him wrong.

More than five years into his administration, the service chiefs have been unable to implement any winning strategy to rein in Boko Haram. This has prompted the clamour for the appointment of new service chiefs who will bring in fresh ideas and tactics on ways to tackle the growing insecurity in the country as their continued stay has caused a lot of disaffection, distrust, disloyalty among the rank and file of the military.

While the Chief of Defence Staff, General Gabriel Olonisakin has been in service for 39 years; Chief of Army staff, Tukur Yusuf Buratai has been in service for 37 years; Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, the Chief of Naval Staff, has spent 40 years in service and Vice Chief of Air staff, Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, has spent 37 years in service.