President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has announced the appointment of new service chiefs, marking a major shake-up in Nigeria’s security leadership. The move, according to presidential spokesperson Sunday Dare, aims to strengthen the nation’s defence structure and enhance counterterrorism, maritime, and air operations.
The newly appointed military chiefs are General Olufemi Oluyede as Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Major General Waidi Shuaibu as Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Air Vice Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke as Chief of Air Staff (CAS), and Rear Admiral Idi Abbas as Chief of Naval Staff (CNS).
Below are detailed profiles of the new security helmsmen:
General Olufemi Oluyede — Chief of Defence Staff
Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, a member of the 39th Regular Course of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), now serves as the Chief of Defence Staff.
Before his elevation, Oluyede served as Chief of Army Staff following the death of his predecessor, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, in November 2024.
The 57-year-old officer from Ekiti State began his military career in 1992 as a Second Lieutenant. He later commanded the Infantry Corps, the Nigerian Army’s largest combat unit, where he oversaw critical operations in ground warfare and troop training.
Throughout his distinguished career, Oluyede has held several notable positions, including Company Commander of the 177 Guards Battalion and Commandant of the Amphibious Training School.
He also participated in the ECOMOG peacekeeping mission in Liberia during the 1990s, gaining vast operational experience in regional security and multilateral defence cooperation.
Major General Waidi Shuaibu — Chief of Army Staff
Major General Waidi Shuaibu, who takes over as Chief of Army Staff, previously served as the 14th Theatre Commander of Operation HADIN KAI in the North-East.
Under his leadership, the Nigerian Army refurbished and upgraded key military hardware, including 10 VP-1 Type 89 Armoured Personnel Carriers, five BMPs, three Steyr APCs, and six Camel MRAPs, preparing troops for the 2024 dry season offensive operations.
The officer from Nasarawa State spearheaded deep clearance operations in Sambisa Forest and the Tumbuktu Triangle, targeting ISWAP and JAS strongholds. His Local Community Policing and Peace Enforcement Initiative (LCPPE) improved civilian cooperation and intelligence gathering across conflict zones.
Between February 2024 and October 2025, Shuaibu’s forces neutralised over 567 terrorists, recovered 492 weapons, and seized 10,714 rounds of ammunition. His troops also rescued more than 2,200 civilians and executed nearly 1,000 offensive operations.
He led Operation Desert Sanity III (Feb–June 2024), which facilitated the safe return of over 4,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) to their communities in Kukawa.
Shuaibu’s leadership led to the elimination of top insurgent leaders, including Tahir Baga and Abu Rijal, and earned his unit the Security Watch Award in December 2024.
He was later succeeded by Major General Abdulsalam Enesi Abubakar as the 15th Theatre Commander of Operation HADIN KAI.
Air Vice Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke — Chief of Air Staff
Air Vice Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, the new Chief of Air Staff, was born on February 20, 1972, in Makurdi, Benue State, and hails from Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State.
He attended the Army Children School and Government College, Kaduna, completing his secondary education in 1987 before joining the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1988 as part of the 40th Regular Course. He was commissioned as a pilot officer in 1993.
Aneke holds a B.Sc. in Physics, a PGD in Management, and multiple master’s degrees — including International Affairs and Diplomacy, Political Economy and Development Studies, and Strategic Studies from the U.S. Air War College, Montgomery, Alabama.
His extensive military and aviation training includes Aeromechanical Engineering, Ab-initio Flying, and Advanced Staff Courses at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji.
Aneke has logged over 4,359 flying hours, piloting aircraft such as the Air Beetle 18, Dornier 228, Falcon 900, Gulfstream V and 550, and the Hawker 4000. He holds an Advanced Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL).
He previously served as Commanding Officer of the Air Maritime Group, Benin, Director of Policy at the Nigerian Air Force Headquarters, and Deputy Commandant of the Nigerian Defence Academy. He also served with the United Nations Mission in Congo (MONUC).
Aneke is married to Mrs. Ngozi Enderline Aneke and blessed with three sons — Chukwuebuka, Ifeanyichukwu, and Uchechukwu. His hobbies include flying, music, and movies.
Rear Admiral Idi Abbas — Chief of Naval Staff
Rear Admiral Idi Abbas, the new Chief of Naval Staff, hails from Tudun Maliki in Kano State.
He previously served as the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Central Naval Command and later as Director of Operations at Naval Headquarters, where he coordinated nationwide maritime patrols and anti-crude oil theft missions across the Niger Delta.
In June 2020, Abbas commanded the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Victory, leading joint anti-piracy and anti-bunkering operations in the Gulf of Guinea.
Before his elevation, he served as Chief of Naval Safety and Standards following a service-wide reshuffle in June 2023.
Abbas also worked as a Senior Research Fellow at the Nigerian Army Heritage Centre, where he contributed to maritime policy development and national defence strategy research.
