Meet President Tinubu’s New Service Chiefs

President Bola Tinubu on Friday appointed new heads for the armed forces in a major overhaul aimed at strengthening the Nigeria’s security structure, the presidency said in a statement.

General Olufemi Oluyede was named Chief of Defence Staff, replacing General Christopher Musa. Major-General Waidi Shaibu becomes Chief of Army Staff, Air Vice Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke is the new Chief of Air Staff, and Rear Admiral Idi Abbas was appointed Chief of Naval Staff.

Major-General E.A.P. Undiendeye retained his position as Chief of Defence Intelligence, according to the statement signed by presidential adviser Sunday Dare.

The presidency said the changes were part of efforts to “strengthen the national security architecture” amid ongoing security challenges across parts of the country, including insurgency, banditry, and maritime threats.

Meet The New Service Chiefs and Their Profiles

General Olufemi Oluyede – Chief of Defence Staff

Oluyede previously served as Chief of Army Staff and commanded the Infantry Corps in Jaji, Kaduna. A member of the 39th Regular Course of the Nigerian Defence Academy, he was commissioned in 1992 and has taken part in several operations, including ECOMOG in Liberia and counterinsurgency missions in Nigeria’s northeast.

He has received multiple military honours, including the Corps Medal of Honour and Grand Service Star.

Major-General Waidi Shaibu – Chief of Army Staff

Shaibu, 53, was born in Kogi State and commissioned into the Armoured Corps in 1994. A graduate of the Nigerian Defence Academy, he also holds degrees in public administration, strategic studies, and security studies from universities in Nigeria and the United States.

He has commanded several formations, including 7 Division and Sector 1 of Operation Hadin Kai in Maiduguri, and has participated in multiple counterterrorism operations.

Air Vice Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke – Chief of Air Staff

Aneke, 53, joined the military in 1988 and was commissioned as a pilot officer in 1993. He has held senior roles at the Nigerian Air Force headquarters and served as Deputy Commandant of the Nigerian Defence Academy.

He holds degrees in physics, management, international affairs, and strategic studies, and has flown multiple aircraft including Gulfstream and Falcon jets.

Rear Admiral Idi Abbas – Chief of Naval Staff

Abbas, 56, from Kano State, was commissioned in 1993 after earning a degree in chemistry. An Above Water Warfare specialist, he has held key operational and administrative posts, including Maritime Guard Commander at NIMASA, Flag Officer Commanding Central Naval Command, and Chief of Defence Civil–Military Relations.

He was most recently a senior research fellow at the Nigerian Army Heritage Centre.

Tinubu, who took office in 2023, has repeatedly pledged to overhaul Nigeria’s security forces to tackle long-running conflicts and restore stability across Africa’s most populous nation.

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