PROFILES: Meet Nigeria’s New Military Chiefs

President Bola Tinubu has replaced Nigeria’s service chiefs and appointed new officers to strengthen the country’s security architecture.

According to presidential spokesperson Sunday Dare, Tinubu named General Olufemi Oluyede as Chief of Defence Staff, Major General Waidi Shaibu as Chief of Army Staff, Air Vice Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke as Chief of Air Staff, and Rear Admiral Idi Abbas as Chief of Naval Staff.

Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede (Chief of Defence Staff)

Oluyede was born on 21 June 1968 in Ikere-Ekiti Town and hails from Ikere Local Government Area of Ekiti State.

He attended Holy Trinity Primary School in Ikere-Ekiti and proceeded to Christ’s School in Ado-Ekiti for his secondary education.

Thereafter, he gained admission to the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1987 as a member of the 39th Regular Course. On completion of his cadet training, he was granted a Regular Combatant Commission on 19 December 1992 in the rank of second lieutenant with seniority in the same rank effective 12 September 1987.

He was first appointed army chief after the death of his predecessor, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, in November 2024.

Before he was appointed Chief of Army Staff, Oluyede previously commanded the Infantry Corps, the army’s largest unit responsible for leading ground combat operations.

The 57-year-old officer from Ekiti State began his military career in 1992 as a Second Lieutenant.

He has held notable command positions, including Company Commander of the 177 Guards Battalion and Commandant of the Amphibious Training School.

Oluyede also participated in major peacekeeping operations under the ECOMOG Mission in Liberia during the 1990s, gaining extensive field experience in regional military cooperation.

Before he was appointed CDS, Oluyede was the 29th indigenous Chief of Army Staff, Nigerian Army.

Major General Waidi Shaibu (Chief of Army Staff)

Major General Shaibu was born on 18 December 1971 in Olamaboro Local Government Area of Kogi State.

He gained admission into the Nigerian Defence Academy as a member of the 41 Regular Course in 1989.

He was commissioned on 17 September 1994 as a Second Lieutenant into the Nigerian Army Armour Corps.

He succeeded Oluyede as the Chief of Army Staff after serving as the 14th Theatre Commander of Operation HADIN KAI in the North-East.

He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna – 1993; a Post Graduate Certificate in Public Administration from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration; a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Calabar; a Master’s Degree in Strategic Studies from the University of Ibadan and a Master’s Degree in Security and Strategic Studies from the National Defence University, Washington, D.C., United States of America.

Under his leadership, troops refurbished and upgraded critical military hardware, including 10 VP-1 Type 89 APCs, five BMPs, three Steyr APCs, and six Camel MRAPs, preparing forces for the 2024 dry season operations.

Shaibu led deep clearance operations into Sambisa Forest and the Tumbuktu Triangle in early 2024, targeting ISWAP and JAS strongholds. His Local Community Policing and Peace Enforcement initiative (LCPPE) strengthened trust between troops and civilians, improving intelligence sharing.

Between February 2024 and October 2025, he led operations that neutralised over 567 terrorists and resulted in the recovery of 492 weapons and 10,714 rounds of ammunition.

Troops also confiscated 332 mobile phones, 54 communication radios, and disrupted insurgents’ networks.

Under Shaibu’s command, the military rescued over 2,200 civilians from terrorist enclaves, executed 9,800 patrols, and launched nearly 1,000 offensive operations.

He also supervised Operation Desert Sanity III (Feb–June 2024), which enabled the release of more than 4,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Kukawa.

His team eliminated key terrorist leaders, including Tahir Baga and Abu Rijal, during counter-terrorism raids in 2024. In recognition of his leadership, Operation HADIN KAI received the Security Watch Award in December 2024.

Major General Abdulsalam Enesi Abubakar later succeeded Shaibu as the 15th Theatre Commander of OPHK.

Before he was appointed COAS, Shaibu was the active Director of Armour Research, Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre WEF 22 Apr 25 till date.

Air Vice Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke (Chief of Air Staff)

Air Vice Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, who succeeded Air Marshal Abubakar, was born February 20, 1972, in Makurdi, Benue State, and hails from Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State.

He attended Army Children School, NDA Kaduna, and later Government College Kaduna, where he completed his secondary education in 1987.

Aneke joined the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1988 as part of the 40th Regular Course and was commissioned as a pilot officer in 1993.

His academic qualifications include a B.Sc. in Physics, PGD in Management, Master’s in International Affairs and Diplomacy, Master’s in Political Economy and Development Studies, and a Master’s in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Air War College, Montgomery, Alabama.

His extensive military training includes Aeromechanical Engineering, Basic and Ab-initio Flying Courses, and both Junior and Senior Staff Courses at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji.

Aneke has flown aircraft models such as Air Beetle 18, Dornier 228, Falcon 900, Gulfstream V, Gulfstream 550, and Hawker 4000, accumulating over 4,359 flying hours and holding an Advanced Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL).

He served as commanding officer at Air Maritime Group, Benin, and Director of Policy at the Nigerian Air Force Headquarters. He also served with the United Nations Mission in Congo (MONUC) and was Deputy Commandant of the Nigerian Defence Academy before his appointment.

Married to Mrs Ngozi Enderline Aneke, he is a father of three sons — Chukwuebuka, Ifeanyichukwu, and Uchechukwu. His hobbies include flying, music, and movies.

Rear Admiral Idi Abbas (Chief of Naval Staff)

Rear Admiral Abbas, who succeeded Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, is a native of Tudun Maliki, Kano State.

Born on 20 September 1969, he was commissioned as a Midshipman on 18 September 1992 as a member of the 40th Regular Course.

He previously served as Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Central Naval Command and Director of Operations at Naval Headquarters. Abbas helped coordinate anti-crude oil theft operations and maritime patrols across the Niger Delta.

In June 2020, he commanded the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Victory, overseeing joint efforts against piracy and illegal bunkering.

Before he was appointed naval chief, he served as Chief of Naval Safety and Standards, following a reshuffle in June 2023. Abbas also served as a Senior Research Fellow at the Nigerian Army Heritage Centre, where he contributed to maritime strategy and policy studies.

Major General Emmanuel Undiandeye (Chief Of Defence Intelligence)

Undiandeye was born in Bedia in Obudu Local Government Area of Cross River State to the family of Mr Sylvanus and Mrs Maria Undiandeye on 2 September 1968.

He attended the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna, and further attended the Royal Military Academy (Standard Military Course 922), Sandhurst, UK to complete his cadet training.

On commission, he has attended several military courses, some of which include, Nigerian Army College of Logistics, Lagos; the Armed Forces Command and Staff College Jaji for Junior and Senior Courses.

He has also attended the National Defence University, Washington DC, USA and the National Defence College, Abuja, Nigeria, which he rounded up with a Master’s Degree from the University of Ibadan.

He attended the Senior Executives National and International Security Programme at the Harvard Kennedy School of Executive Education, USA, as well as the International Intelligence Directors Course in Chicksands, UK.

Undiandeye holds a B.A. (Honours) in History and a Master of Arts in Strategic Security Studies and is an International Counter Terrorism Fellow (ICTF) of the National Defence University’s College of International Security Affairs (CISA), Washington DC, USA.

Most notable of his appointments include Chief of Staff at the Headquarters Nigerian Army Intelligence Corps, Director Lessons Learnt at the Army Headquarters Department of Transformation and Innovation, and Director of Foreign Liaison here at the Defence Intelligence Agency.

He also served as a Senior Research Fellow at the Nigerian Army Resource Centre, as Director Psychological Warfare at Defence Headquarters and as the Deputy Commandant at the Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre.

Internationally, Undiandeye was the Deputy Chief Operations Officer, United Nations Mission in Liberia, Deputy Chief of Assessments, UNHQ – New York, and a pioneer seconded staff to the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) that aided in the prevention of all-out war between South Sudan and the Republic of Sudan.

Until his recent appointment, he was the Commandant at Martin Luther Agwai International Leadership and Peace Keeping Centre, Jaji.

General Undiandeye assumed command as the 17th Chief of Defence Intelligence on 23 June 2023.

Some of his awards include Grand Service Star (GSS), Defence Meritorious Star (DMS), Defence Administration Medal (DAM), Field Command Medal (FCM), Training Support Medal (TSM), International Counterterrorism Fellow (ICTF), and United Nations Headquarters Medal 2013.

He is married to Jane Ekor, and they are blessed with 3 Children. His hobbies include reading, playing golf, photography and nature watching.