- Safiu Kehinde
The Nigerian Army has effected the promotion of its senior officers as it elevated the rank of some selected Brigadier Generals and Colonels.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Friday by the Acting Director of the Army Public Relations, Lt. Colonel Appolonia Arele.
According to the statement, the promotion of the senior officers was on Thursday approved by the Army Council.
While a total of 28 Brigadier Generals were promoted to the rank of Major General, 77 Colonels were also promoted to the rank of Brigadier General.
Those promoted to the rank of Major General include, Brig Gen O Adegbe of the Defence Intelligence Agency, Brig Gen SM Uba, the Director, Defence Information; Brig Gen RE Hedima, the Acting Chief of Military Intelligence Army and Brig Gen RT Utsaha, the Deputy Director, Defence Operations.
Also promoted to the rank of Major General are Brig Gen AM Umar, Commandant, Warrant Officer Academy; Brig Gen S Sulaiman, the Deputy Military Secretary (Army); Brig Gen IO Bassey, Director, Nigerian Army Operations Centre; and Brig Gen CA Ekeator of Nigerian Army School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering.
Equally benefited from the elevation are the Acting Director Procurement in the Office of the Chief of Army Staff, Brig Gen SY Yakasai, Brig Gen WL Nzidee of Army Headquarters Department of Army Logistics, Brig Gen SA Emmanuel of the Nigerian Army Signals, Brig Gen SS Tilawan; the Acting Commander Sector 3 Joint Task Force North East Operation HADIN KAI, Brig Gen MO Agi; the Desk Officer Tertiary Education Trust Fund at the Nigerian Defence Academy and Brig Gen IM Abbas, the Commander 34 Brigade while Brig Gen ZA Saidu was promoted posthumously.
Officers promoted from the rank of Colonel to Brigadier General are Colonels Y Ibrahim of the Nigerian Army Resource Centre Abuja, NN Gambo serving at the Army Headquarters Department of Civil Military Affairs and A Saidu of Headquarters Nigerian Army Finance Corps.
Others are Colonels A Ali of Army Headquarters Garrison, I Waziri, Office of the Chief of Defence Staff, MM Sani of Armed Forces Command and Staff College Jaji, AA Alkali of the Nigerian Army Dog Centre, AO Ndah of Army Headquarters Department of Army Training, IB Sheriff of Headquarters 9 Brigade, KR Apata of Army Headquarters Provost Group, MK Akpuogwu of Headquarters Joint Task Force Operation Whirl Stroke and PU Nnaji of the Nigerian Army Operations Monitoring Support Team, MT Nagudu of Nigerian Army Armour School, KO Bukoye, the Commander 401 Special Forces Brigade , O Adole of Headquarters Nigerian Army Medical Corps, JA Ikagba of 68 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital, DC Ibeh of the 8 Division Medical Services and Hospital, GS Chohwore of 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital, OG Okoye also of the Nigerian Army Reference Hospital and YK Audu serving at the Headquarters Joint Task Force North East Operation HADIN KAI among others.