Amid Boko Haram resurgence, Buratai appoints new commanders

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, has appointed new commanders for Operation Lafiya Dole, the military task force in the North-East.

The Director of Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen Sani Usman, confirmed this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.

According to Usman, the newly promoted Maj.-Gen. O.T. Akinjobi, Head of the Operations Monitoring Team at the Office of the Chief of Army Staff, has been appointed Commander, Sector 3, Operation Lafiya Dole.

He said that Maj.-Gen. M.G. Ali, Commander, 9 Brigade, has been appointed Commander of the newly created Nigerian Army Special Forces Command.

He said that Brig.-Gen. B.R. Sinjen would command Integrated Fire Support, while Brig.-Gen. F.O. Omoigui, had been moved from 2 Division, Nigerian Army to Army Headquarters’ Department of Training and Operations as Director of Operations.

Usman stated that the deployment moved Brig.-Gen. T.A. Lagbaja to 9 Brigade, Nigerian Army as commander.

Also affected, he said, was Brig.-Gen. O.R. Aiyenigba, Director, Land Warfare, Armed Forces Command and Staff College, who had been assigned to Office of the Chief of Army Staff as Head of Operations Monitoring Team.

According to Usman, Brig.-Gen. A.U. Kuliya is to take over as Director, Land Warfare at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College.

“Similarly, new Brigade Commanders have been appointed for some of the Brigades at Operation LAFIYA DOLE.

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“These include Brig.-Gen. E.F. Oyinlola, 22 Brigade; Brig.-Gen. V.U. Okoro, 25 Task Force Brigade; Brig.-Gen. A.B. Mohammed, 26 Task Force Brigade and Brig.-Gen. A.O. Oyelade, 27 Task Force Brigade.

“Brig.-Gen. M.T. Usman, 28 Task Force Brigade and Brig.-Gen. M.G. Kangye, 37 Brigade.’’

The army spokesman added that Brig.-Gen. A.S. Ishaq had been appointed as Coordinator, Nigeria Police Force for Operation LAFIYA DOLE.

He also announced that new commanders had been appointed for the various Army Headquarters Logistics Commands at the theatre.

“These include Brig.-Gen. A.G. Ibrahim, Brig.-Gen. P.N. Okeson and Brig.-Gen. O.A. Aminu, for Logistics Base I, II and III, respectively.”

Usman said the posting affected several Commanding Officers of the various units in Operation Lafiya Dole.

He said Buratai had directed that all those affected by the posting must remain committed and fully in charge until they were properly relieved in line with standard operating procedures and military professional ethics.

Buratai had, shortly after decorating the newly-promoted senior officers on Thursday in Abuja, hinted that deployments were in the offing for them.

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