Tinubu meets newly appointed service chiefs at Aso Villa

President Bola Tinubu, on Monday, met with the newly appointed Service Chiefs at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, following a sweeping shake-up in the nation’s military leadership.

Those in attendance included the Chief of Defence Staff, Lt Gen Olufemi Oluyede; Chief of Army Staff, Maj-Gen W. Shaibu; Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral I. Abbas; Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal S.K. Aneke; and Chief of Defence Intelligence, Maj-Gen E.A.P. Undiendeye.

The President’s latest appointments came barely a week after he dismissed all former service chiefs. The move followed a period of tension within the armed forces and reports of an alleged coup attempt, along with the secret detention of 16 senior military officers by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA).

Although the Presidency maintained that the changes were part of efforts to “strengthen Nigeria’s national security architecture,” the development has been widely viewed as a strategic response to growing internal unrest and suspicions of disloyalty among top officers.

According to an official statement signed by Sunday Dare, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, General Olufemi Oluyede replaces General Christopher Musa as Chief of Defence Staff. Other key appointments include Major-General W. Shaibu as Chief of Army Staff, Air Vice Marshal S.K. Aneke as Chief of Air Staff, and Rear Admiral I. Abbas as Chief of Naval Staff.

The statement further confirmed that Major-General E.A.P. Undiendeye would continue in his role as Chief of Defence Intelligence — a position drawing public attention given the DIA’s central role in the ongoing investigation into the alleged coup plot.