The Nigerian Army has announced the appointment of new General Officers Commanding (GOCs) for its newly established divisions following President Bola Tinubu’s approval for the creation of four additional military formations aimed at strengthening security operations nationwide.
Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, approved the appointments as part of a wider restructuring designed to improve command and control, expand the Army’s operational footprint and enhance its response to Nigeria’s evolving security challenges.
In a statement shared on the Nigerian Army’s official X account on Wednesday, the military said the new divisions would begin operations after attaining Initial Operational Capability (IOC), with plans already in place to achieve Full Operational Capability (FOC) over time.
Under the new structure, 1 Division Kaduna will oversee Kaduna, Kano, Katsina and Jigawa states, while 2 Division Ibadan will cover Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo. 3 Division Jos will be responsible for Plateau, Bauchi and Gombe, while the newly created 5 Division Makurdi will oversee Benue, Nasarawa and Kogi states.
The Army also confirmed that 6 Division Port Harcourt will continue to cover Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River, while 7 Division Maiduguri remains responsible for Borno and Yobe. 8 Division Sokoto will oversee Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara, while the newly established 9 Division Ilorin will cover Kwara and Niger states. 10 Division Jalingo will supervise border areas of Taraba and Adamawa, while 83 Division Benin City is expected to become operational later this year to oversee Edo, Delta and Bayelsa states.
To lead the new formations, Major General Yakubu Yahaya has been appointed General Officer Commanding 9 Division Ilorin and Commander of Operation SAVANNA SHIELD. Major General Chinedu Ralph Nnebeife will serve as GOC 10 Division Jalingo, while Major General Moses Gara has been appointed GOC 5 Division Makurdi and Commander of Operation WHIRL STROKE.
According to the Army, the expansion is intended to improve operational effectiveness, strengthen rapid deployment capabilities and ensure quicker responses to security threats across the country.
The military added that the phased activation of the new divisions will guarantee seamless operationalisation while supporting its broader goal of building a more effective and responsive force to tackle Nigeria’s security challenges.
