Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu reshuffles top military leadership, triggering the retirement of over 60 senior officers to refresh command ranks.
Nigerian Armed Forces are undergoing one of their most extensive leadership overhaul in recent years, with more than 60 senior generals expected to retire following a sweeping shake-up ordered by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The major restructuring, announced on Friday October 24, 2025, saw the removal of General Christopher Musa as Chief of Defense Staff and the appointment of new Service Chiefs across the military branches. The changes are part of what the presidency described as efforts to strengthen national security and improve operational coordination.
Under the new arrangement, Lieutenant-General Olufemi Oluyede, formerly Chief of Army Staff, has been elevated to Chief of Defense Staff. Major-General Waidi Shaibu now assumes command as Chief of Army Staff, while Air Vice Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke has been appointed Chief of Air Staff. Rear Admiral Idi Abbas takes over as Chief of Naval Staff, and Major-General E.A.P. Undiendeye retains his position as Chief of Defense Intelligence.
Military insiders confirmed that the reorganization would lead to a wave of compulsory retirements among officers senior to the newly appointed Service Chiefs — a standard procedure in the Nigerian Armed Forces to preserve hierarchy and discipline. “Once the new Chiefs are decorated with their ranks, their seniors still in service will have to exit,” one senior officer told reporters.
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Those likely to be affected are drawn mainly from the Nigerian Defense Academy’s Regular Courses 38, 39, and parts of 40. The move, observers say, will make way for a new generation of commanders and could bring renewed energy to the country’s security operations.
The announcement followed reports earlier in the week of an alleged coup plot circulating in local media, though no direct connection has been established between the rumors and the leadership changes.
Security analysts note that such transitions, while sometimes disruptive in the short term, are part of institutional renewal. Former Army spokesman Brigadier-General Sani Usman Kukasheka (Rtd) described the development as “a regular practice” that “brings new energy and ideas into the system.”
In a statement issued by Presidential aide Sunday Dare, the Presidency praised the outgoing officers for their “patriotic service and dedication” and reaffirmed that the leadership reshuffle was aimed at reinforcing the nation’s defense architecture.
The shake-up, one of the boldest under Tinubu’s administration, signals a push to modernize command structures and reinvigorate Nigeria’s ongoing military operations nationwide.
