President Bola Tinubu on Friday approved a major shake-up in Nigeria’s military high command. Under the new appointments, General Olufemi Oluyede has been appointed Chief of Defence Staff, succeeding General Christopher Musa.
Major General Waidi Shaibu takes over as Chief of Army Staff, Air Vice Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke becomes Chief of Air Staff, and Rear Admiral Idi Abbas assumes office as Chief of Naval Staff.
Major General Emmanuel Undiendeye retains his post as Chief of Defence Intelligence.
Meet the service chiefs:
1. General Olufemi Oluyede — Chief of Defence Staff
General Olufemi Oluyede steps into the nation’s top military post with a reputation for discipline, quiet confidence, and operational excellence.
The new CDS was born in 1968 in Ikere, Ekiti State, Nigeria.
A member of the 39th Regular Course of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), he previously served as Commander of the elite Infantry Corps in Jaji, Kaduna, and later as Chief of Army Staff following the passing of Lt. General Taoreed Lagbaja.
2. Major General Waidi Shaibu — Chief of Army Staff
From Nasarawa State, Major General Shaibu is widely respected for his frontline command against insurgency in the Northeast.
As reported by Zagazola in April 2025, he is the Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai and led major operations that weakened Boko Haram and ISWAP networks, resulting in the surrender of hundreds of militants and their families.
He also served as General Officer Commanding 7 Division, Maiduguri, where his tenure was marked by significant progress in counterterrorism and rehabilitation efforts.
3. Air Vice Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke — Chief of Air Staff
Born in Makurdi, Benue State, he hails from Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State. AVM Sunday Aneke is a decorated officer and pilot with more than 4,300 flying hours.
According to his profile on the Nigerian Air Force website, he is a member of the 40th Regular Course of the NDA. Aneke holds degrees from the University of Calabar, Ahmadu Bello University, University of Abuja, and the U.S. Air War College, where he earned a Master’s in Strategic Studies.
His long and distinguished service in the Nigerian Air Force includes leadership roles in logistics, flight operations, and safety management. Aneke has flown multiple aircraft — from the Dornier 228 to Gulfstream jets — and previously served as Deputy Commandant of the Nigerian Defence Academy.
4. Rear Admiral Idi Abbas — Chief of Naval Staff
Rear Admiral Idi Abbas, from Kano State, brings decades of naval operational and administrative experience.
5. Major General Emmanuel Undiendeye — Chief of Defence Intelligence
Retaining his role as Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major General Emmanuel Akomaye Parker Undiendeye from Bedia, Obudu Local Government Area of Cross River State, continues to lead Nigeria’s defence intelligence architecture.
A career officer and former Commandant of the Martin Luther Agwai International Leadership and Peacekeeping Centre, Undiendeye is known for his expertise in security analysis, regional peacekeeping, and intelligence coordination.