Tinubu Sacks Service Chiefs, Appoints Replacements Amid ‘hushed’ Coup Scare, Says It's to Strengthen Security Architecture
By: Olufemi Orunsola
Barely a week after the Defence Headquarters dismissed reports of a coup plot against the Tinubu-led administration, Nigeria's President has sacked the leadership of Nigeria’s Armed Forces, stating that the move was a routine efforts towards improved national stability via strengthening the country’s security architecture.
OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News reports that a statement issued by the State House, the President approved the appointment of General Olufemi Oluyede as the new Chief of Defence Staff, replacing General Christopher Musa, who had held the position since June 2023.
Other newly appointed Service Chiefs 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 the new Chief of Naval Staff. The Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major-General E.A.P. Undiendeye, retains his position.
President Tinubu, in his capacity as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, expressed gratitude to the outgoing service chiefs for their “patriotic service and dedicated leadership,” while urging the new appointees to demonstrate the “highest standards of professionalism, vigilance, and unity” expected of the Nigerian military.
According to a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, Tinubu told the replaced Service Chiefs that, “The confidence reposed in you must be justified through loyalty to the Constitution, commitment to the peace of the nation, and a renewed sense of purpose in safeguarding our democracy."
The statement concluded that “All appointments take immediate effect."
Meanwhile, the leadership shake-up comes on the heels of widespread anxiety following reports of an alleged coup plot earlier this month although the Defence Headquarters had dismissed claims that a group of military officers planned to overthrow the Tinubu administration on October 25, describing such reports as “false and malicious.”
However, multiple intelligence sources confirmed that about 20 officers had been detained for questioning after authorities uncovered what was described as a plan to target key political leaders, including President Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas.
While the military maintained that the arrests were part of “routine disciplinary procedures,” insiders suggested the plotters were disgruntled over “career stagnation and failed promotion examinations” — grievances that have long fueled discontent within the ranks.
The latest appointments, therefore, appear both strategic and symbolic — signaling Tinubu’s intent to reinforce trust within the armed forces while projecting stability amid persistent economic and political pressures.
Security analysts view the shake-up as a deliberate move to pre-empt internal dissent and reassert civilian control over the military.
By promoting officers perceived as professional and loyal, Tinubu seeks to restore cohesion and confidence within the defence establishment following weeks of speculation about divided loyalties and threats to national cohesion.
As the new Service Chiefs have taken over immediately, there are expectations that the Armed Forces command shake up will translate to improved security across the populous African country bedevilled by widespread insecurity, banditry and insurgencies eating deep into the fabrics of the country.
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