President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Friday sacked the service chiefs and appointed their replacements.
The statement announcing their removal, signed by the special adviser to the president on media and public communication, Sunday Dare, said the action was taken in furtherance of the Federal Government’s efforts to strengthen the national security architecture.
The President appointed former Army Chief, General Olufemi Oluyede, as the new Chief of Defence Staff, replacing General Christopher Musa.
The new Chief of Army Staff is Major-General W. Shaibu. Air Vice Marshal S. K. Aneke becomes Chief of Air Staff, while Rear Admiral I. Abbas is the new Chief of Naval Staff.
The Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major-General E. A. P. Undiendeye, retains his position.
President Tinubu expressed appreciation to the outgoing Chief of Defence Staff, General Musa, and the other service chiefs for their patriotic service and dedicated leadership.
The President urged the newly appointed service chiefs to justify the confidence reposed in them and to further enhance the professionalism, vigilance, and comradeship that define the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
“All appointments take immediate effect,” the statement said.
Those sacked with General Musa are the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar.
LEADERSHIP Weekend reports that yesterday’s changes mark the second major reshuffle of the military high command since President Tinubu assumed office in May 2023.
Yesterday’s change comes amid growing public outcry as the country continues to battle terrorism, banditry, and other forms of violent crime across several regions.
General Musa and those asked to leave with him had been in office since June 2023 and oversaw several major operations against Boko Haram, ISWAP, and armed bandits in the North-East and North-West.
Security analysts are unanimous that their tenure recorded significant gains.
Despite that, continued attacks and killings in different parts of the country had fuelled calls for a change in strategy and leadership.
The changes also came a few days after widespread rumours of an attempted coup to unseat President Tinubu surfaced in the media.
Though the Defence Headquarters denied it, saying there was no such attempt, yesterday’s sacking of theservice chiefs may lend credence to the alleged coup plot.
“Their sacking is as a result of losing the loyalty of those working with them. When a commander loses the loyalty of his men, then there is no need for him to remain the commander,” a security officer told one of our correspondents.
Although the Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, dismissed the report of an alleged coup, LEADERSHIP Weekend recalls that the Defence Headquarters had, on 4 October 2025, announced the arrest of 16 military officers over indiscipline and breach of service regulations.
A statement by the Acting Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, said the arrest of the 16 offenders was a routine military exercise to maintain order and discipline.
According to him, investigations revealed that their grievances stemmed largely from perceived career stagnation caused by repeated failure in promotion examinations, among other issues.
Maj.-Gen. W. Shaibu: Chief of Army Staff
Known for his field experience in counter-insurgency operations, Shaibu recently served as Theatre Commander of Operation HADIN KAI, focusing on counter-terrorism in the North-East.
He handed over command in April 2025 and proceeded to the Defence Space Agency in Abuja. During his tenure as Theatre Commander, his forces neutralised over 567 terrorists, recovered significant arms and ammunition, and rescued more than 2,225 civilians.
He was General Officer Commanding (GOC), 7 Division, before being appointed Theatre Commander, Sector 1, Operation HADIN KAI.
He also served as Deputy Commandant and Director of Studies at the National Defence College, Abuja.
Born on 18 December 1971 in Olamaboro Local Government Area of Kogi State, Major General Waidi Shaibu was admitted into the prestigious Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) as a member of the 41 Regular Course in 1989 and was commissioned into the Nigerian Army Armoured Corps on 17 September 1994. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the NDA, Kaduna.
February 2024, he became the Chief of Defence Civil Military Relations (CDCMR) and Defence Headquarters (DHQ).
He was deployed in January 2025 to the Nigerian Army Heritage Centre as a Senior Research Fellow, the appointment he held before his elevation to the post of 25th Chief of Naval Staff, Nigerian Navy.
He has earned many prestigious awards, including Passed Staff Course (psc), Fellow Defence College (fdc), Forces Service Star (fss), Meritorious Service Star (MSS), Distinguished Service Star (DSS), Grand Service Star (GSS), and Defence General Staff Medal (DGSM).
Our Expectations From New Service Chiefs – ACF
Meanwhile, the apex Northern socio-cultural organisation, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), has tasked the newly appointed service chiefs to make a difference in the fight against insecurity facing the country.
When contacted over the appointments of new Service Chiefs, ACF National Publicity Secretary, Prof. T. A. Muhammad-Baba, said the forum can only wish the new service chiefs well as such changes were the prerogative of the President.
He said, “Well, no reason is immediately available, but such changes are the prerogative of the Commander-in-Chief, and in many ways, the latest can be seen as almost a routine. The President knows why he undertook the changes.
“It remains for us to wish the new appointees well and, especially, to wish that their coming on board will make a difference in the fight against pervasive insecurity in the country,” the forum stated.
New Service Chiefs Must Avoid Politics – Experts
Also, security experts urged them to subject themselves to democratic conditions, enhance professionalism, and focus on constitutional mandates. The experts, speaking to LEADERSHIP separately, called on the Service Chiefs to avoid the temptations of truncating democratically elected governments as seen in some West African Countries.
The Managing Director, Beacon Consulting, Dr. Kabir Adamu, called on the Service Chiefs to focus on fulfilling their mandates. He said, though the reason for the change may not be in the public domain, but since the Presidency said it is to improve the security architecture, “looking at the role of the military in the security architecture, it is really the protection of Nigeria from external aggression, and then where the politicians invite them to support internal security.
“Since they are already supporting internal security, they should continue to do that, and most importantly, subject themselves to democratic conditions, given what is happening around the West African region, where four countries are being ruled by military dictatorship; they should not allow that temptation to enter the military. In simple terms, it is about fulfilling the mandate assigned to them, ensuring the professionalism of the military,”
Also speaking, the Director of Media and Publicity, International Institute of Professional Security (IIPS), Dr. Abdullahi Muhammed Jabi, urged the new service chiefs to learn from what led to the change of their immediate predecessors.
He recalled that there were rumours since last week that a coup was planned to remove the President. He said that while the federal government has not come out with a categorical statement about it, the fear of that coup might be the reason for the change.
He said the change was a strategic move by the President. “Being the country with the largest population and largest economy, and 26 years of uninterrupted democracy, Tinubu will not allow anyone to truncate democracy in the country. Everybody should be patient to see his policies mature.”
A Lagos-based civil servant, Adeola Kayode, said, “We hope the new chiefs bring discipline and accountability. Security has been a huge concern, especially with rising banditry. Nigerians want results, not just reshuffles.”
A civil society activist in Abuja, Chimeze Nduka, said, “This move cannot be entirely separated from the recent coup allegations. People are asking why such sweeping changes are happening right after talks of a failed plot surfaced. Nigerians deserve honesty; if there was nothing, then the President should just clarify instead of replacing the Chief of Defence Staff.”
A university lecturer, Dr. Emakop Nwosu, noted, “This is an opportunity to restore confidence in the military. We expect them to be more proactive in tackling insurgency and protecting civilians. Loyalty to the Constitution should always be the top priority.”
Tell Nigerians Why You Changed Service Chiefs, ADC Urges Tinubu
Meanwhile, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has asked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to be honest with Nigerians on the real reasons behind the sudden and rather abrupt change in the leadership of the Nigerian military.
The ADC National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji, said this in a statement yesterday in Abuja.
He said while the party acknowledges that the President, as Commander-in-Chief, reserves the power to make such changes as he may deem fit, it is concerned that the move comes in the wake of widespread rumours of an attempted coup.
He reiterated the party’s earlier view that the government’s reaction to the dangerous rumour has veered between deliberate obfuscation and outright confusion in a matter that requires clarity.
“We note that nearly all the service chiefs that have been removed were appointed only 28 months ago, with the current Chief of Defence Staff himself appointed just a year ago as Chief of Army Staff.
“We also note that this kind of decision has serious and far-reaching implications for stability within the ranks and therefore could not have been taken without strong reasons.
“Our position remains, therefore, that the Federal Government owes Nigerians a categorical explanation about what truly happened.”
Abdullahi added that the ADC’s interest remains the stability of the country and its democracy.
The party, however, argued that in light of developments in Chad and the Sahel States, it is gravely concerned.
“Without prejudice to what might have happened in recent weeks, it is obvious that the Tinubu administration is distracted. Insecurity continues to spread, with terrorist groups staging a comeback in some parts of the country, while bandits reign supreme in others. But this is not the reason the government is changing the service chiefs. Instead, the administration’s attention appears fully focused on regime politics rather than securing the lives of Nigerians.
“This near wholesale change in the leadership of the country’s military, if anything, will only further promote rumours and conspiracy theories.
“We therefore reiterate our earlier position that the Federal Government must address the issue transparently and reassure Nigerians that our democracy is not under threat,” the ADC said.
https://leadership.ng/over-50-generals-to-go-as-tinubu-sacks-service-chiefs/
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