Nigerian Army appoint General Officers Commanding for new Army divisions

Nigerian Army Expands to 12 Divisions, Appoints New Commanders

Last Thursday, President Bola Tinubu approved the expansion of the Nigerian Army from eight to 12 divisions and authorized the recruitment of 28,000 additional personnel. The Presidency described the decision as a major step toward strengthening Nigeria's security architecture and improving the operational effectiveness of the Army.

Under the new structure, the Nigerian Army will now operate 12 divisions across the country:

• 1 Division – Kaduna (Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Jigawa)
• 2 Division – Ibadan (Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Ondo)
• 3 Division – Jos (Plateau, Bauchi, Gombe)
• 5 Division – Makurdi (Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi)
• 6 Division – Port Harcourt (Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River)
• 7 Division – Maiduguri (Borno, Yobe)
• 8 Division – Sokoto (Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara)
• 9 Division – Ilorin (Kwara, Niger)
• 10 Division – Jalingo (Taraba, Adamawa)
• 81 Division – Lagos (Lagos, Ogun)
• 82 Division – Enugu (Enugu, Anambra, Abia, Ebonyi, Imo)
• 83 Division – Benin City (Edo, Delta, Bayelsa)

New Division Commanders

In a statement released on Wednesday, Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Colonel Appolonia Anele, announced the appointment of General Officers Commanding (GOCs) for the newly established divisions.

She said the new formations will begin operations immediately after attaining Initial Operational Capability (IOC), while efforts are underway to ensure they gradually achieve Full Operational Capability (FOC).

The newly appointed commanders are:

• Major General Yakubu Yahaya – Posted from Headquarters Joint Task Force (North Central), Operation SAVANNA SHIELD, to Headquarters 9 Division, Ilorin, where he will also serve as Commander of Operation SAVANNA SHIELD.
• Major General Chinedu Ralph Nnebeife – Moved from Headquarters 2 Division/Sector 3 Joint Task Force (North West), Operation FANSAN YAMMA, to command 10 Division, Jalingo.
• Major General Moses Gara – Redeployed from Headquarters Joint Task Force, Operation WHIRL STROKE, to lead 5 Division, Makurdi, while retaining command of Operation WHIRL STROKE.
• Major General Auwalu Mahmuda – Posted from the Army Headquarters Directorate of Inspection and Compliance to command 2 Division, Ibadan.

Three New Brigades Activated

To strengthen the new divisions, the Nigerian Army has also activated three additional brigades:

• 11 Brigade, Gboko – Commanded by Brigadier General A.O. Odubiyi, formerly of the Army Headquarters Operations Centre.
• 29 Brigade, Kainji – Headed by Brigadier General A.M. Haruna, redeployed from the Nigerian Army Armour School.
• 10 Brigade, Lafia – Led by Brigadier General R.M. Aminu, who was transferred from the National Defence College.

The expansion is expected to improve command efficiency, enhance rapid deployment of troops, and strengthen military operations across Nigeria's six geopolitical zones.