President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday decorated Nigeria’s newly appointed service chiefs with their respective ranks during a ceremony held at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The event, which commenced shortly after 2:00 p.m., featured the President performing the decoration alongside Vice President Kashim Shettima and the spouses of the newly promoted officers. The ceremony was marked by a display of military decorum, as each officer appeared in full-service uniform.
The newly decorated chiefs are General Olufemi Oluyede, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS); Lieutenant-General Wahidi Shaibu, Chief of Army Staff (COAS); Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, Chief of Naval Staff (CNS); and Air Marshal Kennedy Aneke, Chief of Air Staff (CAS).
Their decoration follows the Senate’s confirmation of the four nominees on Wednesday, after a two-hour closed-door screening during which they outlined strategic plans to strengthen national security and enhance inter-service collaboration.
President Tinubu had earlier written to the Senate requesting an expedited confirmation process “to ensure continuity and effectiveness in the nation’s security leadership.”
Present at the ceremony were senior government officials, lawmakers, military top brass, and family members of the newly decorated officers. The President, Vice President, and the officers’ spouses took turns pinning the new insignias on each of the service chiefs in a brief but symbolic ritual.
The ceremony comes barely a week after the Presidency announced a major reshuffle within the military hierarchy, a move described by the administration as part of efforts to inject new energy and direction into Nigeria’s defence architecture.
According to a statement signed by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, the shake-up reflects the administration’s commitment to repositioning the armed forces for greater efficiency.
The Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major General E. A. P. Undiendeye, however, retained his position.
Speaking to journalists after the ceremony, Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, dismissed speculations linking the recent changes to rumours of a coup plot.
“The President acted within his constitutional authority as Commander-in-Chief. Service chiefs can be appointed or replaced at any time in the interest of national security,” Onanuga said.
Earlier in the week, President Tinubu had held a private meeting with the new service chiefs at the Presidential Villa, where he reportedly charged them to take decisive and coordinated action against insurgents, terrorists, and bandits, particularly in northern Nigeria.
Last week’s military reshuffle came amid reports alleging a planned coup attempt, claims which the Defence Headquarters promptly dismissed as “false and mischievous.”
The Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, clarified that the alleged arrests mentioned in the report were internal disciplinary issues, not a coup plot, warning that the publication was intended “to sow distrust and unnecessary tension among citizens.”
With their formal decoration, the new service chiefs are now expected to steer the nation’s security apparatus towards greater stability, synergy, and operational effectiveness in tackling emerging threats across the country.
