By Our Reporter
With the retirement and removal of the service chiefs and national security adviser President Muhammadu Buhari inherited from former President Goodluck, Nigeria now has a new security team.
The removed service chiefs are the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Kenneth Minimah, Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Usman Jibrin, Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosun and National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd).
The Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, in a statement said Buhari approved the appointments of Major-General Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin as Chief of Defence Staff; Major-General Turkur Y. Buratai as Chief of Army Staff, Rear Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas as Chief of Naval Staff, and Air Vice Marshal Sadique Abubakar as Chief of Air Staff.
The President has also appointed Air Vice Marshal Morgan Monday Riku as Chief of Defence Intelligence and Major-General Babagana Monguno (rtd.) as National Security Adviser.
The new National Security Adviser, Maj.-Gen. Monguno (rtd.), who hails from Borno State, was a member of the Nigerian Defence Academy’s 21st Regular Course. Before his retirement from the Army, he held several command and staff appointments including: Commander, Guards Brigade, Deputy Commandant, National Defence College, Chief of Defence Intelligence, Chief of Defence Logistics and Commander, Training and Doctrine Command.
The new Chief of Defence Staff, Maj.-Gen. Olonisakin (N/6901) hails from Ekiti State. Until his new appointment, he was the head of the Nigerian Army Training and Doctrine Command in Minna, Niger State.
The new Chief of Army Staff, Maj.-Gen. Buratai hails from Borno State, and was until his appointment, he was the Commander of the Multinational Joint Task Force which has its headquarters in Ndjamena.
Buratai has only been a month on his post as Force Commander of Joint Task Force after the reorganization of the MNJTF in line with the decisions of member-countries of the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) which include Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon, with Benin Republic as hononourary member before his new appointment.
He has previously served as Commander of the Nigerian Army’s 2nd Brigade in Port Harcourt and Commander of the Nigerian Army School of Infantry in Jaji, Kaduna State.
The new Chief of Naval Staff, Ibas, hails from Cross River State. He enlisted into the Nigerian Defence Academy as a member of the 26th Regular Course in 1979 and was commissioned as a Sub-Lieutenant in 1983.
His previous appointments include: Naval Provost Marshall, Chief Staff Officer, Naval Training Command, Chief of Administration, Naval
Headquarters, Flag Officer Commanding Western Naval Command and Chief of Logistics, Naval Headquarters.
Until his appointment as Chief of Naval Staff, he was the Chief Executive Officer of Navy Holdings Limited.
The new Chief of Air Staff, Abubakar, hails from Bauchi State. His previous appointments include: Chief of Standards and Evaluation, NAF Headquarters; Chief of Defence Communications and Air Officer Commanding, NAF Training Command. Until his appointment, he was the Chief of Administration, NAF Headquarters.
The new Chief of Defence Intelligence, Morgan hails from Benue State. He was commissioned into the Nigerian Air Force as a Pilot Officer in June, 1982. His previous appointments include Air Officer Commanding, NAF Logistics Command.
Adesina said the new Service Chiefs will hold their appointments in an acting capacity until confirmed by the Senate.