Chief of Army Staff (Nigeria)
| Chief of the Army Staff | |
|---|---|
 Flag of the Chief of Staff of the Nigerian Army | |
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| Ministry of Defence | |
| Reports to | Chief of Defence Staff |
| Appointer | President of Nigeria |
| Term length | 2 years(extendable by the President) |
The Chief of Army Staff is the highest ranking military officer of the Nigerian Army.[1] The position is often occupied by the most senior commissioned officer appointed by the President of Nigeria.[2] In the chain of command, the Chief of Army Staff reports to the Chief of Defence Staff, who in turn, reports to the Defence Minister, accountable to the President of Nigeria.[3] The Statutory duty of the Officer is to formulate and execute policies towards the highest attainment of National Security and operational competence of the force.[4]
Chiefs of the Nigerian Army
Following is a chronological list of officers holding the position of General Officer Commanding (GOC) or Chief of Army Staff (COAS).[5]
General Officer Commanding
| No. | Picture | General Officer Commanding | Took office | Left office | Time in office |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Major general Kenneth G. Exham | 1956 | 1959 | 2–3 years | |
| 2 | Major general Foster | 1959 | 1963 | 3–4 years | |
| 3 | Major general John Alexander Mackenzie | 1963 | 1963 | 0 years | |
| 4 | Major general Sir Christopher Welby-Everard (1909–1996) | 1963 | 1965 | 1–2 years | |
| 5 | Major general Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi (1924–1966) | 1965 | 15 January 1966 | 0–1 years |
Chief of Army Staff
| No. | Picture | Chief of Army Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lieutenant colonel Yakubu Gowon FSS (born 1934) Later military ruler | January 1966 | July 1966 | 6 months | |
| 2 | Lieutenant colonel Joseph Akahan OFR FSS (1937–1968) | May 1967 | May 1968 † | 1 year | |
| 3 | Major general Hassan Katsina RCDS, PSC (1933–1995) | May 1968 | January 1971 | 2 years, 8 months | |
| 4 | Major general David Ejoor (1932–2019) | January 1971 | July 1975 | 4 years, 6 months | |
| 5 | Lieutenant general Theophilus Danjuma (born 1938) | July 1975 | October 1979 | 4 years, 3 months | |
| 6 | Lieutenant general Ipoola Alani Akinrinade CFR FSS (born 1939) Later Chief of Defence Staff | October 1979 | April 1980 | 6 months | |
| 7 | Lieutenant general Gibson Jalo CFR FSS, JSS (1939–2000) Later Chief of Defence Staff | April 1980 | October 1981 | 1 year, 6 months | |
| 8 | Lieutenant general Mohammed Inuwa Wushishi CFR FSS (born 1940) | October 1981 | October 1983 | 2 years | |
| 9 | Major general Ibrahim Babangida (born 1941) Later military ruler | January 1984 | August 1985 | 1 year, 7 months | |
| 10 | Lieutenant general Sani Abacha GCON , DSS, mni (1943–1998) Later military ruler | August 1985 | August 1990 | 5 years | |
| 11 | Lieutenant general Salihu Ibrahim FSS , FHWC (1925–2018) | August 1990 | September 1993 | 3 years, 1 month | |
| 12 | Lieutenant general Aliyu Mohammed Gusau DSS, rcds (born 1943) | September 1993 | November 1993 | 2 months | |
| 13 | Major general Chris Alli CRG, DSS, ndc, psc(+) (born 1944) | November 1993 | August 1994 | 9 months | |
| 14 | Major general Alwali Kazir DSS, Usawc, psc(+) (born 1947) as Chief of Army | August 1994 | March 1996 | 1 year, 7 months | |
| 15 | Lieutenant general Ishaya Bamaiyi DSS, Usawc, psc(+) (born 1949) | March 1996 | May 1999 | 3 years, 2 months | |
| 16 | Lieutenant general Victor Malu DSS, mni, fwc, psc (1947–2017) | May 1999 | April 2001 | 1 year, 11 months | |
| 17 | Lieutenant general Alexander Ogomudia (born 1949) Later Chief of Defence Staff | April 2001 | June 2003 | 2 years, 2 months | |
| 18 | Lieutenant general Martin Luther Agwai (born 1948) Later Commander of the United Nations African Union Mission in Darfur | June 2003 | June 2006 | 3 years | |
| 19 | Lieutenant general Owoye Andrew Azazi (1952–2012) Later Chief of Defence Staff | 1 June 2006 | May 2007 | 11 months | |
| 20 | Lieutenant general Luka Yusuf CFR, GSS, GPP, DSO, psc(+), fwc, Msc (1952–2009) | June 2007 | August 2008 | 1 year, 3 months | |
| 21 | Lieutenant general Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau CFR, GSS, psc, ndc, fwc(+), PhD (born 1954) | August 2008 | September 2010 | 2 years, 1 month | |
| 22 | Lieutenant general Azubuike Ihejirika CFR, GSS, psc(+), fwc, fniqs (born 1956) | September 2010 | January 2014 | 3 years, 4 months | |
| 23 | Lieutenant general Kenneth Minimah GSS, psc(+), fwc (born 1959) | January 2014 | July 2015 | 1 year, 6 months | |
| 24 | Lieutenant general Tukur Yusuf Buratai NAM, GSS, psc(+), ndc (BD) (born 1960) | July 2015 | Incumbent | 9 years, 4 months |
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See also
References
- ^ "Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan sacks military chiefs". BBC News. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
- ^ "President sacks Service Chiefs, names replacements". Daily Independent. Archived from the original on July 10, 2015. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
- ^ "Minimah, Jibrin, Amosu Appointed Service Chiefs". Thisdaylive. Archived from the original on July 14, 2015. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
- ^ "Chief of Army Staff vows military will end insurgency". Premium Times. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
- ^ "Chronicle of Command". The Nigerian Army. Retrieved 2010-06-01.
