Chief of Army Staff Appoints new GOCs

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has approved the appointment of General Officers Commanding (GOCs) to the Nigerian Army's newly established divisions following President Bola Tinubu's approval for the expansion of the Army's structure from eight to twelve divisions.
The expansion is aimed at strengthening the Nigerian Army's force structure, broadening its operational presence, improving command and control, and enhancing its capacity to tackle Nigeria's evolving security challenges.
According to a statement released on Wednesday via the Nigerian Army's X handle, the new divisions will begin operations once they attain Initial Operational Capability (IOC), with measures already in place to achieve Full Operational Capability (FOC) in phases to ensure seamless deployment and effective force projection nationwide.
Under the new operational structure, 1 Division Kaduna will oversee Kaduna, Kano, Katsina and Jigawa states, while 2 Division Ibadan will cover Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo. The 3 Division Jos will be responsible for Plateau, Bauchi and Gombe, while the newly created 5 Division Makurdi will oversee Benue, Nasarawa and Kogi. The 6 Division Port Harcourt will continue to cover Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River, while 7 Division Maiduguri will retain responsibility for Borno and Yobe. The 8 Division Sokoto will continue to oversee Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara.
The newly established 9 Division, headquartered in Ilorin, will cover Kwara and Niger states, while 10 Division Jalingo will be responsible for Taraba and Adamawa. The 81 Division Lagos will retain Lagos and Ogun, while 82 Division Enugu will continue to oversee Enugu, Anambra, Abia, Ebonyi and Imo. The newly created 83 Division, headquartered in Benin City, will cover Edo, Delta and Bayelsa once it becomes operational later this year.
To lead the new formations, the COAS approved the appointment of senior officers. Major General Yakubu Yahaya has been redeployed from the Headquarters Joint Task Force (North Central), Operation SAVANNA SHIELD, to serve as General Officer Commanding 9 Division, Ilorin, and Commander of Operation SAVANNA SHIELD. Major General Chinedu Nnebeife moves from Headquarters 2 Division/Sector 3, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, to become the General Officer Commanding 10 Division, Jalingo.
Major General Moses Gara has also been redeployed from Headquarters Joint Task Force Operation WHIRL STROKE to Headquarters 5 Division, Makurdi, where he will serve as both General Officer Commanding and Commander of Operation WHIRL STROKE. The Army said the appointments are intended to provide experienced leadership for the newly established divisions as they begin operations.