Nigerian Military Retires 100 Senior Officers
The Nigerian Defence Headquarters has instructed all senior officers with “seniority on commission” above Nigerian Defence Academy Regular Course 39 to submit their applications for voluntary retirement. This announcement came after the appointment of new service chiefs by President Bola Tinubu.
According to military tradition, senior officers are unlikely to take orders from their juniors. Therefore, the appointment of new service chiefs necessitated the retirement of about 100 top officers, including Generals, Brigadiers-General, Air Vice Marshals, and Admirals in the Nigerian Army, Navy, and Air Force from the Force.
The affected senior officers who are expected to file in their voluntary retirement are officers above the NDA regular course 39. The new Chief of Defence Staff, Major General Christopher Musa, is a member of 38 regular courses, the Chief of Army Staff, Major General Taoreed Lagbaja, the Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Abdulazeez Musa, and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Ibrahim Abdulrahman, are all members of the NDA Regular Course 39.
The notice of resignation was made known in a statement from the Defence Headquarters signed on Monday by Maj-Gen. Y. Yayaha for the Chief of Defence Staff. The statement directed the affected officers to submit their applications to their respective service headquarters no later than Monday, July 3, 2023.
This is a significant development in the Nigerian military, as it will lead to the retirement of many experienced officers. However, it is expected that this move will create opportunities for younger officers to rise up the ranks and take on more leadership roles in the military.
