Defence HQ Gives Senior Military Officers July 3 Deadline To Resign As Gen Irabor Officially Bows Out

Senior Military Officers in Nigeria have been given a deadline of Monday, July 3, 2023 by the Defence Headquarters to tender their resignation.

The Defence Headquarters thereafter directed all Senior officers with seniority on commission above Nigerian Defence Academy Regular Course 39 to proceed on voluntary retirement.

The notice of resignation was issued in an official statement from the Defence Headquarters signed by Maj-Gen. Y. Yayaha for the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS).

“I am directed to respectfully request services to direct all officers with seniority on commission above that of Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) regular course 39 to submit their applications for voluntary retirement from service with immediate effect,” Yayaha said.

“I am to add that affected officers are to submit their applications to their respective service headquarters no later than on Monday, July 3, 2023.”

According to military tradition, senior officers are unlikely to take orders from their juniors, thus the new appointments necessitate the compulsory retirement of about 100 top officers, including Generals, Brigadiers-General, Air Vice Marshals, and Admirals in the Nigerian Army, Navy, and Air Force from the Force.

The affected senior officers who are expected to file in their voluntary retirement are officers above the NDA regular course 39.

However, the new Chief of Defence Staff, Major General Christopher Musa is a member of the 38 regular courses.

The Chief of Army Staff, Major General Taoreed Lagbaja, the Chief of Naval Staff, Rear admiral Emmanuel Ogalla and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Hassan Abubakar are all members of the NDA 39 regular course.

Meanwhile, the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor (retd), has bowed out of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.

Irabor bowed out at a ceremony which took place at the Mogadishu Cantonment, Asokoro in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja on Friday.

The pull out ceremony is part of the military tradition to honour retiring generals. The event involved a march past by the officers of the Nigerian Army among others.

Past Chiefs of Defence, Army, Navy, and Air Staff, among others, attended Friday’s event.

Irabor was appointed CDS in January 2021 and retired alongside others on June 19 following the appointment of new service chiefs by Tinubu.