Massive Retirement Speculated In Nigerian Army, As Buhari Appoints New COAS

Fear is said to have taken over the Nigerian military following the appointment of Major General Farouk Yahaya as the new Chief of Army Staff (COAS).

This is as serving members of Regular Course 35, 36, and 37 in the Army, Air Force and Navy, may be forced out of service.

Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari appointed Major General Yahaya as the new COAS following the death of the late Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru who died in an air crash involving a Nigerian Air Force aircraft in Kaduna on May 21.

With the appointment of the new COAS who is a member of the 37 Regular Course, some top Army generals may be forced to retire.

A reliable military source was quoted to have said that the senior officers may be asked to turn in their papers for ease of administration or be posted out to head tri-service institutions depending on the discretion of the Military council.

The source reportedly said: “There is going to be a serious shakeup in the three Services with the appointment of the new Chief of Army Staff. Depending on the decision of the Military Council, members of Course 35, 36 and 37 may be asked to turn in their papers for ease of administration or they can also be redeployed to head tri-service institutions but most of them will go certainly.”

Another senior Army officer who didn’t want to be mentioned put the figure of Army Generals that would go at over 30, including two serving members of Course 35.

The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao is of Course 35 while the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo is of Course 36.

It was gathered that the president was earlier advised against going below Course 35 in picking Attahiru’s replacement for fear of unsettling the Army.

However, military sources said the decision may not be unconnected with the recent decision to flush out old hands in the service to pave way for younger officers who can reinvigorate the counter-insurgency war.

There are also those who say that some junior officers who spoke on the condition of anonymity welcomed the president’s decision to choose the new COAS from Course 37. They reportedly maintained that the flushing out of the very senior officers would brighten their chances of getting commanding positions.