By Our Reporter
Until his sack from office, Christopher Musa, an Army General and Chief of Defense Staff was said to have repeatedly assured President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that the military, under his Leadership are still loyal to him, as their Commander -In-Chief, Cin-C and ‘’will protect the country’s Democracy’’.
The former CDS, was said to have warmed incurable pessimists adopting suspicious posture and offering themselves as willing tools for political destabilization of the country to reconsider their actions.
Given the good working relationship between the Nigerian President and the Service Chiefs may have informed why he had vowed ‘’to invoke his Constitutional powers to continue to equip, arm and empower the Nigerian military’’ to confront the Bandits in states in the north western geopolitical region and terrorists operating in the north eastern states of Borno and Yobe.
Between the tail end of 2023 and now Tinubu, had kept to his words as he had ensured that the Nigerian military receives proper funding from his government to restore normalcy in the country where people would go about their business without fear of being harassed by killer gangs Bandits or terrorists.
Take for instance, the administration had earmarked N4.91trn, for the country’s defense and security, this 2025, while budgetary provision for basic infrastructural facilities across the country, Health care delivery, and education, stood at N9.59 trn. President Tinubu may have gladdened the heart of the then Service Chiefs when he stated that the administration had significantly increased the funding of the military believing that the security situation of the country would have improved much better but got it wrong.
The President may have been pissed off because of rumours making the rounds of a coup plot to truncate Nigeria’s 25 -year-old Democracy. The rumours became more pronounced for much of September, 2025 and October as EAP Undiendeye, a Major General and Chief of Defense Intelligence Administration, who was retained in office in the current shake up of the Service Chiefs and his men had beamed their searchlight on the suscept top military personnel in their Units and Barracks, thus making it impossible for two or mor senior military officers to engage for discussions to avoid playing into the hands of the DIA, official, who were said to be alive to their duties .
In spite of the no nonsense stance of the DIA, personnel in their close monitoring of the top military personnel, particular, the soldiers of the ranks of Brigadier Generals and above, there were still reports of alleged coup plot in which the Punch Newspaper had reported that 16 senior officers linked to plot were arrested and still in military custody for disciplinary action.
Tukur Gusau, a Brig.-General and Director of Defense Information, had described the alleged coup plot as’’ incompatible with military standards’’, noting that some of the arrested and detained officers had been under close watch for various offences and were either waiting or undergoing trial.
The DHQ, spokesperson, may have made Nigerians to understand that the arrest of the 16 senior officers was part of a routine military exercise to restore discipline and curb breach of Service regulations.
He had revealed that the aggrieved officers’ involvement in the alleged coup plot was as a result of perceived’’ career stagnation caused by repeated failure in promotion examination’’ among other undisclosed issues which begs the question. He maintained that ‘’the Armed Forces remained loyal to the Constitution and the President’’.
Acting on security reports, the Nigerian government which may not have what happened in NEPAL and Madagascar, where there was Gen Z, protest and the subsequent removal of the political Leadership of these two countries may have given the nod to the military High Command and the Force to tightened up security at the Presidential Villa.
Kayode Egbetokun, Inspector General of Police, IGP, was said too have brough out his best in security operations as he was said to have given a matching order to the Commissioners of Police in the states and the FCT, to ensure there is no breach of Law and order in the guise of the Free Nnadi Kanu protest, on October 20, 2025.
The Nigerian President, acting on security reports, may have known that all is not well in the country that he had cancelled the military parade earlier scheduled to mark the country’s 65th Independence anniversary and making it low key celebration. He had said that the cancellation of the military parade to mark Nigeria’s 65th Independence anniversary made him ‘’to have a good sleep and nice breakfast’’, noting that the evening of the October 1st, 2025, was well spent in the Villa to mark the occasion.
Unconfirmed reports said the alleged coup which had been nipped on bud even before it was carried out by the plotters may have encouraged the Nigerian Leader to move fast to kick out the old Service Chiefs and introduce fresh hands whose loyalty are guaranteed to step up the tempo of counter-insurgency in the country.
At the closing ceremony of Exercise Vulcan Glow XI Firepower Demonstration, held on Thursday, October 24, 2025, at the Nigerian Army Military Training Range, Kachia, Kaduna, Lt. Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, an infantry soldier, commissioned in 1992, and the immediate past Chief of Army Staff , CAS, had said that President Tinubu’s commitment ‘’to the military operational and administrative has been pivotal in their success in dealing decisively with the Bandits in the north western states of Zamfara, Sokoto, Kaduna, Katsina and BokoHaram terrorists in Borno state’’.
The sweeping sack of the Service Chiefs, and appointment of four new ones, over undisclosed reasons by President Tinubu, clearly shows the restiveness in the country’s military. Lt. Gen. Oluyede, the former Chief of Army Staff, and a chip of the old block, had been retained and given a higher responsibility. The Osun state born Army Lt.Gen. was said to have replaced Chritopher Musa, a General, who had lost his lucrative military appointment.
Gen. Musa, may not have been the only Service Chief who hast his position in the country’s security architecture. Vice Admiral Oggala, the Chief of NAVAL Staff was also shown the way out from the Service just as Air Vice Marshall Hassan Abubakar, Chief of Air Staff, was not spared.
The four newly appointed Service Chiefs who were said o have been appointed by the President to replace the old Service Chiefs, were Lt. General Oluyede, former Chief of Army Staff who had replaced Gen. Musa as Chief of CDS, Rear Admiral I. Abbas, who was said to have replaced Vice Admiral Ogalla as Chief of Naval Staa, and K. Aneke, an Air Vice Marshall to replace Vice Marshall Abubakar, as the new Chief of Air Staff. Waidi Shaibu, an Army Major General from Kogi state, was appointed to succeed Lt. Gen. Oluyede, the immediate past CAS, who is now the country’s CDS.
Appealing to the newly appointed Service Chiefs to justify the confidence reposed in them by the government’’, the President noted that this is the only way ‘’to further enhance the Professionalism, vigilance and comradeship that define the Armed Forces of Nigeria’’.
Bayo Onanuga, Special Assistant to the Nigeria President on Information and Strategy, had said the President had taken the bold decision ‘’to inject a new direction, vision, vigour and energy into the country’s armed forces as the C-In-C.
The Presidents would want the new Service Chiefs to bring their experience to bear in tackling the security issues that had to do with Banditry in the north western states of Zamfara, Kebbi Sokoto, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Boko Haram in the North east, IPOB and ESN, in the south east , Kidnapping in the South west and other critical crisis of Fulani Herdsmen and Farmers , in the north central states Benue , Plateau and Nasarawa.
Aminu Tambuwal, a former governor of Sokoto state and now a senator of Federal Republic of Nigeria, may have painted a pitiable case of the situation in Sokoto state when he stated that all the all the Local government areas in the north and South Senatorial districts of the have been virtually taken over by Bandits, forcing the people to evacuate to another location for their safety.
Many believes that these bandits who had relocated to Sokoto state and north western states, are those who could not stand the superior fire power of the Alliance for Sahel States of burkina Faso, under the Leadership of Capt. Ibrahim Traore, Generals Abdulrahmane Tchiani, Niger Republic and Assimi Goita of Mali. Sen. Tambuwal had said that the situation in his home state, had become worse over the last two and half years, urging the military to condone the areas instead of carrying out isolated operations that makes no impact. He was said to have advocated for state police to collaborate with the Federal police to effectively confront the Bandits.
With the appointment of the new Service Chiefs, President Tinubu, had given his words, that the administration will tackle headlong ‘’the menace of banditry, terrorism and other criminalities confronting country, particular, in the north’’.
The assurance given to him by the new Service Chiefs may have emboldened him to declare without mincing words they will deliver on their mandate’’ and even do better than their predecessors by ensuring that security returns to Sokoto, Zamfara and other crisis thorn parts of the country for speedy development. Nigerians are waiting anxiously waiting to see that happen as the security situation in Sokoto, Zamfara, Kaduna, Katsina and Borno states, remain worrisome.
