Senate Screens New Service Chiefs Today

Barring any last-minute change, the Senate will on Wednesday screen and confirm the nominations of new Service Chiefs submitted by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Tinubu had, in a letter transmitted to the Senate, asked the lawmakers to confirm the Service Chiefs.

The presidential letter was read during Tuesday’s plenary by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

Tinubu had on Friday carried out a major shake-up in the nation’s military hierarchy, replacing General Christopher Musa with General Olufemi Oluyede as Chief of Defence Staff.

Tinubu also appointed Major-General Waidi Shaibu as the new Chief of Army Staff, Air Vice Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke as Chief of Air Staff, and Rear Admiral Idi Abbas as the new Chief of Naval Staff.

Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major-General E. A. P. Undiendeye, however, retained his position.

After reading the letter, Akpabio referred the request to the Committee of the Whole for screening and confirmation of the nominees.

He suggested that senators conduct the screening on Wednesday, citing the prevailing security challenges in the country and the need for the appointees to hit the ground running.

Thereafter, he put the motion to a voice vote, and the senators approved Wednesday for the screening and possible confirmation of the nominees by saying “aye.”

The New Service Chiefs

Defence

Lieutenant-General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede is a seasoned officer with a career in the Nigerian Army spanning over three decades.

A graduate of the 39th Regular Course, Oluyede possesses a wealth of experience in military strategy and command, consistently demonstrating leadership excellence in numerous operations.

Prior to his appointment as Chief of Army Staff and the Defence Chief, he served as the 56th Commander of the Nigerian Army’s elite Infantry Corps, based in Jaji, Kaduna.

Commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1992 (retroactively effective from 1987), Oluyede steadily rose through the ranks of the Nigerian Army.

By September 2020, he attained the rank of Major-General. Throughout his career, Oluyede has taken on many leadership roles, including Platoon Commander and adjutant at 65 Battalion, Company Commander at 177 Guards Battalion, Staff Officer at Guards Brigade, and Commandant of the Amphibious Training School.

General Oluyede’s record extends to significant peacekeeping and national security operations. Notably, he served with distinction in the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) Mission in Liberia, a key deployment aimed at maintaining peace and stability in West Africa.

He further contributed to Operation HARMONY IV in Bakassi, focusing on protecting Nigeria’s interests in the region, and later commanded the 27 Task Force Brigade in Operation HADIN KAI, which combats insurgency in the North East of Nigeria.

Historically, Oluyede became Nigeria’s first-ever Acting Chief of Army Staff. He also holds the prestigious title of ‘Passed Staff Course,’ a hallmark of distinguished military achievement. He hails from Ekiti State.

Army

Major-General Waidi Shaibu, who is the new Chief of Army Staff, has earned many honours for his meritorious service in various fields of operations. He was the former Theatre Commander, Northeast ‘Operation Hadin Kai’.

He was once the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 7 Division, Maimalari Cantonment, Maiduguri. During his tenure, he recorded successes in the fight against Boko Haram insurgents. After his stint as the 11th GOC 7 Division, he proceeded to the Defence Space Agency in Abuja, having served for a period of 14 months.

He is a former Director of Training at the Army Headquarters Department of Training in Abuja. He is also the former commander, 21 Special Armour Brigade, Bama.

He was a member of the College of International Security Affairs (CISA) before he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General. He also served as principal staff officer at the Defence Headquarters, Abuja.

In 2024, he received the Security Watch Award for the most outstanding defence command in Africa.

Air Force

Vice Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke was born on 20 February 1972 in Makurdi, Benue State, but hails from Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State.

The son of an Air Warrant Officer (Rtd) Sylvester and Mrs Ngozi Aneke, he had his early education at Army Children School, New Cantonment ‘A’, Kaduna (1976–1982) and Government College, Kaduna (1982–1987).

He was admitted into the Nigerian Defence Academy as a member of the 40th Regular Combatant Course and was commissioned into the Nigerian Air Force as a Pilot Officer on 10 September 1993.  Air Vice Marshal Aneke holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Physics, a Postgraduate Diploma in Management from the University of Calabar, and two Master’s Degrees, one in International Affairs and Diplomacy from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and another in Political Economy and Development Studies from the University of Abuja.

He also possesses a Professional Certificate in Aviation Safety Management from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Florida, USA, and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). Air Vice Marshal Aneke has attended some military institutions, including the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, where he completed the Junior and Senior Staff Courses, and the United States Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, where he earned a Master’s in Strategic Studies.

Until his appointment as CAS, he served as Air Officer Commanding, Mobility Command, Yenagoa.

His operational experience spans domestic and international theatres, from Operation Restore Hope in the Niger Delta to United Nations peacekeeping operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC).

Navy

Rear Admiral Idi Abbas was born on 20 September 1969 and hails from Nassarawa LGA of Kano State.

He enlisted into the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) on September 12, 1987, and was commissioned Sub-Lieutenant on September 10, 1993, as a member of NDA 40 Regular Course with a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry.

The newly appointed Chief of the Naval Staff began his early education at Gwagwarwa Primary School, Kano, then proceeded to Airforce Military School, Jos, from 1981 – 1986 before his admission into NDA in 1987.

The newly appointed CNS 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. After his commissioning in 1993, he served on board various NN ships as a Watch-Keeping Officer.

In January 2004, he was appointed Staff Officer III, Marine Services at Naval Headquarters (NHQ) and later Gunnery Officer NNS OHUE in 2006. In 2007, he became an instructor at NNS QUORRA and in 2008, he was appointed Commanding Officer Burma Battalion of NDA.

Rear Admiral Abbas later served as Base Administrative Officer of NNS PATHFINDER and Naval contingent Commander of Joint Task Force Operation SAFE HAVEN in 2010 and 2012, respectively.

He was the Maritime Guard Commander (MGC) of NIMASA in 2015 and Commander Task Group (CTG) of NN Operation Tsare-Teku in 2017.

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.

The newly appointed CNS is a thoroughbred professional Seaman Executive Officer who rose through all the ranks in NN before his appointment. He became a Midshipman on 18 September 1996, 2001 and 2006 respectively he was promoted to the ranks of Lieutenant, Lieutenant-Commander and Commander.

He became a Navy Captain in September 2011, a Commodore in 2016 and a Rear Admiral on 10 September 2020.

Defence Intelligence Chief

Major General Emmanuel Akomaye Parker Undiandeye hails from Bedia in the Obudu Local Government Area of Cross River State.

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.

He is a graduate of the Nigerian Defence Academy and the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, UK.

He holds a BA (Hons) in History and a Master’s in Strategic Security Studies; Fellow, National Defence University, Washington DC. He also attended Harvard Kennedy School Senior Executive Programme in National and International Security.(Daily trust)