Tinubu appoints Service Chiefs, CDS, NSA, IG, CGC

Tinubu appoints Service Chiefs, CDS, NSA, IG, CGC

•More special advisers, SSAs named

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu yesterday made key security appointments in a major shake-up which swept away the Chief of Defence Staff, Service chiefs, National Security Adviser (NSA), Inspector-General of Police and Comptroller-General of Customs.

The statement by Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) George Akume, signed by the Director of Information in his office Mr. Willie Bassey, gave the names of new appointees.

They are Maj. Gen. Christopher Gewbi Musa, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS); Maj.-Gen. Taoreed A Lagbaja, Chief of Army Staff (COAS); Rear Admiral Emmanuel A. Ogalla, Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) and Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Hassan Bala Abubakar, Chief of Air Staff (CAS).

The Service chiefs will hold office in acting capacities.

Deputy Inspector-General (DIG) of Police Kayode Egbetokun is the acting Inspector-General of Police and Deputy Comptroller-General (DCG) Adeniyi Bashir Adewale is to act as Customs Comptroller-General.

Others are: Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, National Security Adviser (NSA); Maj.-Gen. Epa Undiandeye, Chief of Defense Intelligence (CDI); Col. Adebisi Onasanya, Brigade of Guards Commander; 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 and Lt. Col. Olumide A. Akingbesote, 176 Guards Battalion, Gwagwalada, Abuja.

The statement further stated that the President approved the appointments of other military officers in the Presidential Villa, including Maj. Isa Farouk Audu (N/14695), Commanding Officer of State House Artillery; Capt. Kazeem Olalekan Sunmonu (N/16183), Second-in-Command, State House Artillery; Maj. Kamaru Koyejo Hamzat (N/14656), Commanding Officer, State House Military Intelligence; Maj. TS Adeola (N/12860), Commanding Officer, State House Armament; and Lt. A. Aminu (N/18578), Second-in-Command, State House Armament.

The President also approved the appointments of two additional Special Advisers and two Senior Assistants.

They are 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 Olarewaju Kunle Ibrahim (Senior Special Assistant, National Assembly Matters – House of Representatives).

The statement said the Service chiefs, the acting IG and the acting CG of Customs are to act in their positions, pending their confirmation in accordance with the 1999 Constitution.

Former CDS Gen. Luck Irabor was appointed by former President Muhammadu Buhari in January 2021 along with the Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Air Staff and Chief of Naval Staff.

But Lt.-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru died in a helicopter crash in May 2021 and was replaced by Lt.-Gen. Farouk Yahaya.

Outgone IGP Alkali Usaman Baba was appointed in April 2021. 

Former NSA Maj. Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd) was appointed in 2015.

PROFILES

Chief of Defence Staff (CDS)

The new Chief of Defence Staff, Maj. Gen. Musa was born on December 25, 1967. He hails from Zango Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

He is a member of the 38th Infantry Course of the Nigerian Defence Army and was Commissioned on 21 September 1991.

He had served at the Theatre Command Operation Hadin Kai, the Joint Military Operation in the Northeast.

Chief of Army Staff (COAS)

The COAS Maj.-Gen. Lagbaja was born in Ilobu, Irepodun Local Government Area, Osun State, on 28 February 1968.

He was admitted on 12 September 1987 as a member of 39 Regular Course of the Nigerian Defence Academy. He was commissioned on 19 September 1992 into the Nigerian Army Infantry Corps.

Until his appointment, Maj. -Gen. Lagbaja was Chief of Operations at the Army Headquarters, Abuja.

Chief of Naval Staff

Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla hails from Enugu-Ezike in Enugu State. He was a member of 39 Regular Course of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA).

Until his appointment, he was Director of Lessons Learnt at Naval Headquarters, Abuja.

Chief of Air Staff

The Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Abubakar, was born on 11 September 1970. He hails from Shanono Local Government Area of Kano State. 

He was enlisted into the NAF as a member of 39 Regular Course of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), and was commissioned Pilot Officer on 19 Sept 1992.

He was the Air Officer Commanding, Logistics Command before his appointment.

Acting IGP

Born on September 4, 1964, Egbetokun was the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Force Criminal Investigation Department, Force Headquarters, Abuja before his appointment as Acting Inspector General of Police.

Egbetokun was born in Erinja, Yewa South Local Government Area of Ogun State. He enlisted into the Nigeria Police Force on the 3rd of March, 1990, as a Cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police.

He had his initial training at the Nigeria Police Academy and has served for more than 26 years in the Police.

Egbetokun obtained a Bachelor of Science degree (B.Sc) in Mathematics from the University of Lagos.

He had also lectured in Mathematics briefly at Yaba College of Technology, Lagos.

His other academic qualifications include PhD from the Center for Peace and Security Studies, Al-hikmah University, Ilorin, making history as the first PhD candidate to graduate from the Center. He holds M.Sc in Engineering Analysis, also from the University of Lagos, Akoka ( 1996), PGD in Petroleum Economics from Delta State University, Abraka (2000), and an MBA from Lagos State University, Ojo (2004).

Egbetokun was the Acting Commissioner of Police in Lagos State.

He was also the Deputy Commandant, Nigeria Police College, Ikeja, Lagos.

Senator Abdullahi Gumel

Senator Abubakar Gumel hails from Maigatari Local Government Area of Jigawa State.

He was born on April 20, 1949. He was a member of the 8th National Assembly and represented Jigawa Northwest District. He was the Chairman of the Senate Committee on States and Local Governments.

He attended Kaduna Polytechnic, Kaduna, where he obtained a National Diploma in Accountancy before proceeding to Bayero University, Kano, where he obtained Advance Diploma in Public Administration and Post Graduate Diploma (PDGD) in Public Policy and Administration. He holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy and Administration from Bayero University, Kano.

In 1999, he was elected a member of the House of Representatives, representing Gumel Constituency (Gumel / Maitagri / Sule Tanrarkar / Gagarawa Local Government Areas). While in the House, he served as Chairman of the House Committee on Special Duties from 1999 to 2000 and Chairman of the House Committee on Police Affairs, from 2001 – 2003. 

In 2003, he was appointed Special Adviser to the Speaker (Aminu Bello Masari) on special assignments (2003–2007). He was elected Senator and represented Jigawa Northwest District in 2015 under the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Nuhu Ribadu

Ribadu was born on 21 November 1960 in Yola, Adamawa State. He graduated from Ahmadu Bello University,  Zaria, Kaduna State in 1983, with a Bachelor of Law degree. He also bagged a Master’s in Law from ABU.

He joined the Nigerian Police Force in 1986 and rose to become Assistant Commissioner of Police in 2002. In 2007, he was promoted Assistant Inspector General of Police.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo appointed him Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission  (EFCC) from 2003 to 2007.

Ribadu was also the Chairman of the Petroleum Special Revenue Task Force from 2012 to 2014.

Hadiza Bala Usman

Born on January 2, 1976, Usman bagged a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Ahmadu Bello University,Zaria, in 2000.

In 2009, she received a Master’s in Development Studies from the University of Leeds, England.

She was appointed in 2015 by former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai as  Chief of Staff.

Former President Muhammadu Buhari appointed her as the Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) in July 2016, a position she held till 2021.

Adeniyi

Before his appointment, Adeniyi  was an Acting Deputy Comptroller General of Customs with over 30 years experience.

Adeniyi attended Modakeke High School, Osun State, where he sat for his School Certificate Examination  in June, 1979. Adeniyi graduated in 1987, from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, with Bachelor of Science degree in International Relations . The new Acting Controller-General of Customs is also a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication Science from Universitaire Svizzera D’Italiana (USI) – Lugano—Switzerland.