Chief of Army Staff (Nigeria)

Professional head of the Nigerian Army

Chief of Army Staff

Seal of the chief of army staff

Flag of the chief of army staff

Incumbent
Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede

since 30 October 2024

Nigerian Army
Abbreviation| COAS
Member of|

* National Security Council
* National Defence Council

Reports to| Chief of Defence Staff
Seat| Nigerian Army Headquarters, Abuja
Appointer| President of Nigeria
Inaugural holder| Kenneth G. Exham
Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi (indigenous)
Formation| 1956
(69 years ago) (1956)

The chief of army staff (COAS) has been the title of the professional head of the Nigerian Army since 1966.[1] Prior to 1966, the title was General Officer Commanding, Nigerian Army (GOCNA). Since 1980, the post has been immediately subordinate to the chief of defence staff, the post held by the head of the Nigerian Armed Forces. The position is often occupied by the most senior officer appointed by the president.[2]

The current chief of army staff is Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, who succeeded Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, who died in office in November 2024. [3]

## Role

[edit]

In the chain of command, the chief of army staff reports to the chief of defence staff, who in turn reports to the defence minister, accountable to the president of Nigeria.[4] The statutory duty of the officer is to formulate and execute policies towards the highest attainment of national security and operational competence of the Nigerian Army.[5]

## Chiefs of the Nigerian Army

[edit]

Following is a chronological list of officers holding the position of General Officer Commanding (GOC) or Chief of Army Staff (COAS).[6]

### General Officer Commanding

[edit]

No. | Portrait  | General Officer Commanding | Took office | Left office | Time in office

|
|
|
|
|

| Exham, KennethMajor general
Kenneth G. Exham| 1956| 1959| 2–3 years

| Foster, NormanMajor general
Norman Foster| 1959| 1963| 3–4 years

| Mackenzie, JohnMajor general
John Alexander Mackenzie| 1963| 1963| 0 years

| Welby-Everard, ChristopherMajor general
Sir Christopher Welby-Everard
(1909–1996)| 1963| February 1965| 1–2 years

| Aguiyi-Ironsi, JohnsonMajor general
Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi
(1924–1966)
Later military ruler| February 1965| 15 January 1966| 0–1 years

### Chief of Army Staff

[edit]

No. | Portrait  | Chief of Army Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Ref.

|
|
|
|
|
|

| Gowon, YakubuLieutenant colonel
Yakubu Gowon FSS
(born 1934)
Later military ruler| January 1966| July 1966| 6 months| [citation needed]

| Akahan, JosephLieutenant colonel
Joseph Akahan OFR FSS
(1937–1968)| July 1966| May 1968 †| 1 year, 9 months| [citation needed]

| Katsina, HassanMajor general
Hassan Katsina RCDS, PSC
(1933–1995)| May 1968| January 1971| 2 years, 8 months| [citation needed]

| Ejoor, DavidMajor general
David Ejoor
(1932–2019)| January 1971| July 1975| 4 years, 6 months| [citation needed]

| Danjuma, TheophilusLieutenant general
Theophilus Danjuma
(born 1938)| July 1975| October 1979| 4 years, 3 months| [citation needed]

| Akinrinade, IpoolaLieutenant general
Ipoola Alani Akinrinade CFR FSS
(born 1939)
later Chief of Defence Staff| October 1979| April 1980| 6 months| [citation needed]

| Jalo, GibsonLieutenant general
Gibson Jalo CFR FSS, JSS
(1939–2000)
later Chief of Defence Staff| April 1980| October 1981| 1 year, 6 months| [citation needed]

| Wushishi, InuaLieutenant general
Inua Wushishi CFR FSS
(1940–2021)| October 1981| October 1983| 2 years| [citation needed]

| Babangida, IbrahimMajor general
Ibrahim Babangida
(born 1941)
Later military ruler| January 1984| August 1985| 1 year, 7 months| [citation needed]
10|

| Abacha, SaniLieutenant general
Sani Abacha GCON , DSS, mni
(1943–1998)
Later military ruler| August 1985| August 1990| 5 years| [citation needed]
11|

| Abacha, SaniLieutenant general
Salihu Ibrahim FSS , FHWC
(1935–2018)| August 1990| September 1993| 3 years, 1 month| [citation needed]
12|

| Gusau, AliyuLieutenant general
Aliyu Mohammed Gusau DSS, rcds
(born 1943)| September 1993| November 1993| 2 months| [citation needed]
13|

| Alli, ChrisMajor general
Chris Alli CRG, DSS, ndc, psc(+)
(1944–2023)| November 1993| August 1994| 9 months| [citation needed]
14|

| Kazir, AlwaliMajor general
Alwali Kazir DSS, Usawc, psc(+)
(born 1947)| August 1994| March 1996| 1 year, 7 months| [citation needed]
15|

| Bamaiyi, IshayaLieutenant general
Ishaya Bamaiyi DSS, Usawc, psc(+)
(born 1949)| March 1996| May 1999| 3 years, 2 months| [citation needed]
16|

| Malu, VictorLieutenant general
Victor Malu DSS, mni, fwc, psc
(1947–2017)| May 1999| April 2001| 1 year, 11 months| [citation needed]
17|

| Ogomudia, AlexanderLieutenant general
Alexander Ogomudia
(born 1949)
Later Chief of Defence Staff| April 2001| June 2003| 2 years, 2 months| [citation needed]
18|

| Agwai, MartinLieutenant general
Martin Luther Agwai
(born 1948)
Later Chief of Defence Staff| June 2003| June 2006| 3 years| [citation needed]
19|

| Azazi, OwoyeLieutenant general
Owoye Andrew Azazi
(1952–2012)
Later Chief of Defence Staff| 1 June 2006| May 2007| 11 months| [citation needed]
20|

| Yusuf, LukaLieutenant general
Luka Yusuf CFR, GSS, GPP, DSO, psc(+), fwc, Msc
(1952–2009)| June 2007| August 2008| 1 year, 3 months| [citation needed]
21|

| Dambazau, AbdulrahmanLieutenant general
Abdulrahman Dambazau CFR, GSS, psc, ndc, fwc(+)
(born 1954)| August 2008| September 2010| 2 years, 1 month| [citation needed]
22|

| Ihejirika, AzubuikeLieutenant general
Azubuike Ihejirika CFR, GSS, psc(+), fwc, fniqs
(born 1956)| September 2010| January 2014| 3 years, 4 months| [7]
23|

| Minimah, KennethLieutenant general
Kenneth Minimah GSS, psc(+), fwc
(born 1959)| January 2014| July 2015| 1 year, 6 months| https://punchng.com/tinubu-promotes-acting-coas-oluyede-to-lieutenant-general/
24|

| Buratai, TukurLieutenant general
Tukur Yusuf Buratai NAM, GSS, psc(+), ndc (BD)
(born 1960)| 16 July 2015| 28 January 2021| 5 years, 6 months| [8]
25|

| Attahiru, IbrahimLieutenant general
Ibrahim Attahiru
(1966–2021)| 28 January 2021| 21 May 2021 †| 3 months| [9][10]
26|

| Yahaya, FarukLieutenant general
Faruk Yahaya
(born 1966)| 27 May 2021| 23 June 2023| 2 years| [11][12]
27|

| Lagbaja, TaoreedLieutenant general
Taoreed Lagbaja
(1968–2024)| 23 June 2023| 5 November 2024 †| 1 year, 4 months| [13]
28|

| Oluyede, OlufemiLieutenant general
Olufemi Oluyede
(born 1968)| 30 October 2024| Incumbent| 5 months| [14]

Source: [15]

## See also

[edit]

* Nigerian Army Day

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan sacks military chiefs". BBC News. 16 January 2014. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
2. ^ "President sacks Service Chiefs, names replacements". Daily Independent. Archived from the original on 10 July 2015. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
3. ^ https://www.channelstv.com/2024/11/06/breaking-tinubu-announces-death-of-chief-of-army-staff-lagbaja/
4. ^ "Minimah, Jibrin, Amosu Appointed Service Chiefs". Thisdaylive. Archived from the original on 14 July 2015. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
5. ^ "Chief of Army Staff vows military will end insurgency". Premium Times. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
6. ^ "Chronicle of Command". The Nigerian Army. Retrieved 1 June 2010.
7. ^ "Former Chief of Army Staff, GENERAL AZUBUIKE IHEJIRIKA set to join Abia guber race". encomium.ng. 14 February 2014.
8. ^ George, Agba. "Major General TY Buratai New Chief Of Army Staff". Retrieved 28 August 2021.
9. ^ "Buhari don sack im service chiefs, appoint new ones - see di new ones here". BBC News Pidgin.
10. ^ "Nigerian army chief Ibrahim Attahiru killed in air crash". bbc.com/news. BBC. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
11. ^ "New Chief of Army Staff: Buhari appoint Major General Farouk Yahaya to replace late Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru". BBC News Pidgin. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
12. ^ "Buhari names Major-General Farouk Yahaya as new army chief". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. 27 May 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
13. ^ Ariemu, Ogaga (20 June 2023). "10 interesting things to know about new COAS, Maj Gen Lagbaja". Daily Post Nigeria. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
14. ^ Angbulu, Stephen (5 November 2024). "Tinubu promotes acting COAS Oluyede to Lieutenant General". Punch Newspapers. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
15. ^ "TIMELINE: 26 men who served as Nigeria's Chief of Army Staff". Premium Times Nigeria. Retrieved 9 July 2024.

* v
* t
* e

Chiefs of army staff (COAS) Nigeria

* Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi (1965–1966)
* Yakubu Gowon (1966)
* Joseph Akahan (1967–1968)
* Hassan Katsina (1968–1971)
* David Ejoor (1971–1975)
* Theophilus Danjuma (1975–1979)
* Ipoola Alani Akinrinade (1979–1980)
* Gibson Jalo (1980–1981)
* Mohammed Inuwa Wushishi (1981–1983)
* Ibrahim Babangida (1984–1985)
* Sani Abacha (1985–1990)
* Salihu Ibrahim (1990–1993)
* Aliyu Mohammed Gusau (1993)
* Chris Alli (1993–1994)
* Alwali Kazir (1994–1996)
* Victor Malu (1999–2001)
* Alexander Ogomudia (2001–2003)
* Martin Luther Agwai (2003–2006)
* Owoye Andrew Azazi (2006–2007)
* Luka Yusuf (2007–2008)
* Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau (2008–2010)
* Azubuike Ihejirika (2010–2014)
* Kenneth Minimah (2014–2015)
* Tukur Yusuf Buratai (2015–2021)
* Ibrahim Attahiru (2021)
* Faruk Yahaya (2021–2023)
* Taoreed Lagbaja (2023–2024)
* Olufemi Oluyede (2024–)

* v
* t
* e

Military, law enforcement and intelligence agencies of Nigeria

Military|

* Nigerian Armed Forces
* Nigerian Army
* Chief of Army Staff
* Nigerian Navy
* Chief of Naval Staff
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* Chief of Air Staff
* Ministry of Defence
* Defence Minister
* Chief of the Defence Staff

Law enforcement|

* Nigeria Police Force
* National Drug Law Enforcement Agency
* Nigerian Mobile Police
* Economic and Financial Crimes Commission

Intelligence|

* State Security Service
* National Intelligence Agency
* Defence Intelligence Agency
* Chief of Defence Intelligence
* Federal Investigation and Intelligence Bureau

* v
* t
* e

Chiefs of the army by country

* Chief of Army Staff

Africa|

* Algeria
* Angola
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* Botswana
* Burkina Faso
* Burundi
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* Sierra Leone
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* Zimbabwe

Former|

* Biafra
* Bophuthatswana
* Ciskei
* British Egypt
* Ethiopian Empire
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Americas|

* Antigua and Barbuda
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Former|

* Confederate States

Asia|

* Abkhazia
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Former|

* Democratic Kampuchea
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Europe|

* Albania
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Former|

* Austria–Hungary
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* Prussia
* Imperial Germany
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* Ottoman Empire
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* Soviet Union
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Oceania|

* Australia
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* Papua New Guinea
* Tonga
* Vanuatu

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