President Bola Tinubu on Friday carried out a major shakeup in the hierarchy of Nigeria’s military architecture, replacing General Christopher Musa with General Olufemi Oluyede as the Chief of Defence Staff.
Tinubu also appointed Major-General W. Shaibu as the new Chief of Army Staff, Air Vice Marshall S. K Aneke as Chief of Air Staff, and Rear Admiral I. Abbas as the new Chief of Naval Staff.
Chief of Defence Intelligence Major-General E.A.P Undiendeye retained his position.
The change was announced in a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President, Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare.
He said that the development is in furtherance of the efforts of the Federal Government of Nigeria to strengthen the national security architecture.
Here are the profiles of the newly appointed service chiefs.
General Olufemi Oluyede
Until his appointment as the new CDS, Oluyede served as the Chief of Army Staff.
He had also served as the 56th Commander of the elite Infantry Corps of the Nigerian Army, based in Jaji, Kaduna.
The 56-year-old Oluyede is a member of the 39th Regular Course.
He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1992, effective from 1987.
He rose to Major-General in September 2020.
Oluyede has held many commands since his commissioning as an officer.
He was Platoon Commander and adjutant at 65 Battalion, Company Commander at 177 Guards Battalion, Staff Officer Guards Brigade, Commandant, Amphibious Training School.
General Oluyede participated in several operations, including the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) Mission in Liberia, Operation HARMONY IV in Bakassi, and Operation HADIN KAI in the North East theatre of operations, where he commanded 27 Task Force Brigade.
Oluyede has earned many honours for his meritorious service in various fields of operations.
These include the Corps Medal of Honour, the Grand Service Star, Passing the Staff Course, and Membership in the National Institute.
Major-General W. Shaibu
The President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has approved the appointment of Major General Waidi Shaibu as the 25th Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Nigerian Army.
The newly appointed Army Chief, who succeeds Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, is described as a battle-hardened commander, strategic thinker, and decorated officer of repute.
Major General Shaibu’s appointment marks a defining phase in the ongoing transformation of the Nigerian Army—towards greater operational readiness, professionalism, and an unyielding commitment to defending Nigeria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Born on 18 December 1971 in the Olamaboro Local Government Area of Kogi State, Major General Waidi Shaibu was admitted into the prestigious Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) as a member of the 41 Regular Course in 1989 and was commissioned into the Nigerian Army Armoured Corps on 17 September 1994.
He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the NDA, Kaduna.
General Shaibu holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Public Administration from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration, as well as multiple advanced degrees, including a Master’s in Public Administration (University of Calabar), a Master’s in Strategic Studies (University of Ibadan), and a Master’s in Security and Strategic Studies (National Defence University, Washington D.C., USA).
Major General Shaibu has held several strategic appointments, including General Officer Commanding (GOC) 7 Division and Commander Sector 1, Operation HADIN KAI, Maiduguri; Brigade Commander, 21 Special Armoured Brigade, Bama; and Chief of Training, Army Headquarters.
His operational footprint spans several key military engagements within and outside Nigeria, including Operations HARMONY, BOYONA, ZAMAN LAFIYA, LAFIYA DOLE, TURA TAKAIBANGO, HADIN KAI, DESERT SANITY, and LAKE SANITY.
He is married to Hajia Safiyyah Hassan, and the union is blessed with two children.
Air Vice Marshall S. K. Aneke
Air Vice Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke was born on 20 February 1972 in Makurdi, Benue State, to the family of Air Warrant Officer Sylvester and Mrs Ngozi Aneke.
He hails from the Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State.
After obtaining his first school leaving certificate and West African School Certificate, the new naval chief started his military career on 10 September 1988 when he was enlisted into the Nigerian Defence Academy as a member of the 40th Regular Course.
Consequently, he was commissioned as a pilot officer into the Nigerian Air Force on 10 September 1993.
He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree (BSc) in Physics, a Post Graduate Diploma in Management from the University of Calabar, a Masters in International Affairs and Diplomacy from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Masters in Political Economy and Developmental Studies from the University of Abuja and a Masters in Strategic Studies from the Air War College United State Air Force Air University Montgomery, Alabama.
Aneke’s numerous appointments in the Nigerian Air Force include Command Operations Officer, Tactical Air Command Makurdi, Director of Safety Headquarters Nigerian Air Force Abuja, Deputy Director Operations Headquarters Nigerian Air Force, and Director of Policy Headquarters Nigerian Air Force.
Until his appointment, he was the Deputy Commandant of the NDA.
Aneke is type-rated and has flown the following aircraft: Air Beetle 18, Air Beetle 18 extended version, Dornier – 228, Citation – 500, Falcon 900, Gulfstream V, Gulf Stream 550, and the Hawker – 4000.
He is married to Mrs Ngozi Enderline Aneke and blessed with three boys.
Rear Admiral I. Abbas
Rear Admiral Idi Abbas, born on September 20, 1969, hails from Nassarawa LGA of Kano State.
He enlisted into the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) on September 12, 1987 and was commissioned as a Sub-Lieutenant on 10 September 1993 as a member of NDA 40 Regular Course with a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry.
The newly appointed Chief of the Naval Staff is an Above Water Warfare (AWW) specialist officer who has attended several military courses at home and abroad, including the Sub-Lieutenant Technical Course at NNS QUORRA in 1994, the Junior and Senior Staff Courses at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College Jaji in 2001 and 2005 respectively.
The newly appointed CNS has held several appointments in the Nigerian Navy.
He was the Maritime Guard Commander (MGC) of NIMASA in 2015 and Commander Task Group (CTG) of NN Operation Tsare-Teku in 2017.
Between 2018 and 2022, Rear Admiral Idi Abbas steadily climbed the ladder of appointments in Central Naval Command first as the Command Admin Officer (CAO) then as the Chief Staff Officer (CSO) culminating in his appointment as Flag Officer Commanding (FOC CNC) of Central Naval Command and within this period, he also served as Commander NNS VICTORY, Calabar in 2020.
In July 2023, he was appointed Chief of Naval Safety and Standard (CNASS) at NHQ, and in February 2024, he became the Chief of Defence Civil Military Relations (CDCMR) and Defence Headquarters (DHQ).
In January 2025, Rear Admiral Abbas was deployed to the Nigerian Army Heritage Centre as a Senior Research Fellow, the appointment he held before his elevation to the post of 25th Chief of Naval Staff, Nigerian Navy.
Rear Admiral Idi Abbas is a practicing Muslim who is married to Mrs Aisha Abbas, and the marriage is blessed with two boys.
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