In a sweeping reorganisation, President Bola Tinubu has announced the dismissal of the Chief of Defence Staff, the entire lineup of Service Chiefs, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Usman Baba Alkali, and the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Col. Hameed Ali.
This change was revealed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, in a statement issued from Abuja on Monday.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has approved the immediate retirement of all Service Chiefs, the Inspector-General of Police, Advisers, and the Comptroller-General of Customs, along with their immediate replacements,” declared the SGF.
In place of the outgoing officials, President Tinubu has appointed Mallam Nuhu Ribadu as National Security Adviser; Maj. Gen. C.G Musa as Chief of Defence Staff; Maj. Gen. T. A Lagbaja as Chief of Army Staff; Rear Admiral E. A Ogalla as Chief of Naval Staff; AVM H.B Abubakar as Chief of Air Staff, DIG Kayode Egbetokun as Acting Inspector-General of Police, and Maj. Gen. EPA Undiandeye as Chief of Defence Intelligence.
Additionally, President Tinubu has given the nod to several other military appointments including Col. Adebisi Onasanya, Commander, Brigade of Guards; Lt. Col. Moshood Abiodun Yusuf, 7 Guards Battalion, Asokoro, Abuja; Lt. Col. Auwalu Baba Inuwa 177, Guards Battalion, Keffi, Nasarawa State; Lt. Col. Mohammed J. Abdulkarim, 102 Guards Battalion, Suleja, Niger state; and, Lt. Col. Olumide A. Akingbesote, 176 Guards Battalion, Gwagwalada, Abuja.
Further reshuffling within the Presidential Villa also sees new appointments: Maj. Isa Farouk Audu, Commanding Officer, State House Artillery; Capt. Kazeem Olalekan Sunmonu, Second-in-Command, State House Artillery; Maj. Kamaru Koyejo Hamzat, Commanding Officer, State House Military Intelligence; Maj. TS Adeola, Commanding Officer, State House Armament; and, Lt. A. Aminu, Second-in-Command, State House Armament.
In addition to the security personnel, President Tinubu has also confirmed the appointments of two Special Advisers and two Senior Assistants. The new appointees include Hadiza Bala Usman, Special Adviser, Policy Coordination; Hannatu Musa Musawa, Special Adviser, Culture and Entertainment Economy; Sen. Abdullahi Abubakar Gumel, Senior Special Assistant, National Assembly Matters (Senate); and, Hon. (Barr) Olarewaju Kunle Ibrahim, Senior Special Assistant, National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives).
Lastly, the President has chosen Adeniyi Bashir Adewale as the Acting Comptroller General of Customs.
In concluding the announcement, the SGF noted that the newly appointed Service Chiefs, the IGP, and the Comptroller General of Customs will assume their roles provisionally, pending confirmation in accordance with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
