President Bola Tinubu on Friday made changes in the hierarchy of the Service Chiefs in furtherance of the efforts of the Federal Government of Nigeria to strengthen the national security architecture. Consequently, the President appointed General Olufemi Oluyede to replace General Christopher Musa as the new Chief of Defence Staff. The new Chief of Army Staff is Major-General W. Shaibu. Air Vice Marshall S.K Aneke is Chief of Air Staff while Rear Admiral I. Abbas is the new Chief of Naval Staff. Chief of Defence Intelligence Major-General E.A.P Undiendeye retains his position.

The President expressed most profound appreciation to the outgoing Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa and the other Service Chiefs for their patriotic service, and dedicated leadership. He charged the newly appointed Service Chiefs to justify the confidence reposed in them to further enhance the professionalism, vigilance and comradeship that define the Armed Forces of Nigeria.

Here’s a quick look at the profiles of Nigeria’s new Service Chiefs.

New CDS: Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede

Lieutenant General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede is a senior officer in the Nigerian Army who currently serves as its 24th Chief of Army Staff (COAS). He assumed the role officially on 9 December 2024, following an acting appointment made by President Bola Ahmad Tinubu on 30 October 2024 after the death of his predecessor. Prior to this appointment, Oluyede was the Commander of the Army’s elite Infantry Corps in Jaji, Kaduna and a member of the 39th Regular Course at the Nigerian Defence Academy, alongside his predecessor.

Born in 1968 in Ikere, Ekiti State, Oluyede began his military journey in 1987 and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 1992. Over the years, he has held a broad range of command and staff roles: from Platoon Commander and Company Commander with the Guards Battalions, to Commanding the Amphibious Training School, and eventually serving as Commander of the 27 Task Force Brigade under Operation HADIN KAI in Nigeria’s Northeast. He has also participated in international missions such as the ECOWAS Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) in Liberia and Operation Harmony IV in Bakassi.

Oluyede’s service has earned him a number of prestigious military honours including the Corps Medal of Honour, Grand Service Star, Field Command Medal of Honour, and the Chief of Army Staff Commendation Award. Outside his professional life, he is reported to be married with three children, and his biography underscores a dedication not only to operational excellence but also to the welfare and development of his troops.

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New Chief of Defence Intelligence:  Major General Emmanuel Akomaye Parker Undiandeye

Major General Emmanuel Akomaye Parker Undiandeye hails from Bedia in the Obudu Local Government Area of Cross River State, Nigeria. A member of the Nigerian Army’s Intelligence Corps, he previously served as Commandant of the Martin Luther Agwai International Leadership & Peacekeeping Centre in Jaji, Kaduna. In June 2023, he was appointed as the Chief of Defence Intelligence (CDI) of Nigeria, placing him at the helm of coordinating intelligence operations across the armed forces.

New Chief of Army Staff: Major General Waidi Shaibu
Major General Waidi Shaibu, a senior officer of the Nigerian Army Armoured Corps and member of the 41 Regular Combatant Course, has built a distinguished career marked by leadership in Nigeria’s counterterrorism and counterinsurgency operations. He has served as Commander of the 21 Special Armoured Brigade in Bama, Director of Training at Army Headquarters, and later as the 11th General Officer Commanding (GOC) 7 Division. In January 2022, he assumed command of the 7 Division and Sector 1 of Operation Hadin Kai, leading major offensive operations in the Northeast against Boko Haram and ISWAP.

In January 2024, Major General Shaibu was appointed Theatre Commander of the North-East Joint Task Force, Operation Hadin Kai, overseeing joint military operations that significantly weakened terrorist strongholds. Renowned for his disciplined leadership, operational effectiveness, and emphasis on collaboration with civilian stakeholders, he has been credited with improving troop morale and achieving major security gains.

New Chief of Naval staff: Rear Admiral Idi Abbas 

Rear Admiral Idi Abbas is a senior officer of the Nigerian Navy who served as the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) of the Central Naval Command (CNC) based in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. He assumed this role after being the Chief Staff Officer of the same command, pledging to continue the fight against illegal oil theft, pipeline vandalism, and other maritime offences in the Niger Delta region. During his tenure he emphasized team-work, professionalism and integrity as core values of the Navy and sought seamless transition building on past achievements under his predecessor.

In his command period, Rear-Admiral Abbas oversaw operations that reportedly intercepted hundreds of thousands of barrels of stolen crude and deactivated over 2,000 illegal refining sites in the region. His leadership also involved collaboration with state governments and other security agencies to strengthen