PROFILES: Meet Nigeria’s New Military Chiefs

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has replaced Nigeria’s service chiefs, appointing new officers to strengthen the nation’s security architecture.

According to presidential spokesperson Sunday Dare, the appointments are:

Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede – Chief of Defence Staff (CDS)

Major General Waidi Shuaibu – Chief of Army Staff (COAS)

Air Vice Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke – Chief of Air Staff (CAS)

Rear Admiral Idi Abbas Chief of Naval Staff (CNS)

Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede – Chief of Defence Staff

Lieutenant General Oluyede, a member of the 39th Regular Course of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), was appointed CDS following the death of his predecessor, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, in November 2024.

The 57-year-old officer from Ekiti State began his military career in 1992 as a Second Lieutenant. He has commanded the Infantry Corps, the army’s largest combat unit, and held key positions such as Company Commander of the 177 Guards Battalion and Commandant of the Amphibious Training School.

Oluyede also participated in major peacekeeping operations under the ECOMOG Mission in Liberia during the 1990s, gaining extensive regional field experience.

Major General Waidi Shuaibu – Chief of Army Staff

Major General Shuaibu, who served as the 14th Theatre Commander of Operation HADIN KAI in the North-East, succeeds Oluyede as COAS.

During his tenure, Shuaibu oversaw refurbishment and upgrade of military hardware, including VP-1 Type 89 APCs, BMPs, Steyr APCs, and Camel MRAPs. He led clearance operations into Sambisa Forest and the Tumbuktu Triangle, targeting ISWAP and JAS strongholds.

Between February 2024 and October 2025, his command neutralised over 567 terrorists, recovered 492 weapons and 10,714 rounds of ammunition, and disrupted insurgent networks. He also supervised the rescue of more than 2,200 civilians and launched nearly 1,000 offensive operations.

Shuaibu also led Operation Desert Sanity III, which facilitated the release of over 4,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Kukawa.

Air Vice Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke – Chief of Air Staff

Air Vice Marshal Aneke, born February 20, 1972, in Makurdi, Benue State, hails from Udi Local Government Area, Enugu State. He attended Army Children School, NDA Kaduna, and Government College Kaduna before joining the NDA in 1988 as part of the 40th Regular Course. He was commissioned as a pilot officer in 1993.

Aneke holds a B.Sc. in Physics, a PGD in Management, and master’s degrees in International Affairs, Political Economy, and Strategic Studies (from the U.S. Air War College). He has accumulated over 4,359 flying hours on aircraft including Dornier 228, Falcon 900, Gulfstream V and Hawker 4000.

He previously served as Commanding Officer at Air Maritime Group Benin, Director of Policy at NAF Headquarters, Deputy Commandant of NDA, and participated in UN operations in Congo (MONUC).

 

Rear Admiral Idi Abbas Chief of Naval Staff

Rear Admiral Abbas, a native of Tudun Maliki, Kano State, succeeds Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla. He previously served as Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Central Naval Command and Director of Operations at Naval Headquarters, coordinating anti-crude oil theft operations and maritime patrols across the Niger Delta.

In June 2020, he commanded NNS Victory, overseeing joint efforts against piracy and illegal bunkering. Abbas also served as Chief of Naval Safety and Standards and as a Senior Research Fellow at the Nigerian Army Heritage Centre, contributing to maritime strategy and policy studies.