Friday,28 May 20021: Not less than 10 Major Generals may have to retire abruptly from the service following the emergence of  Major General Farouk Yahaya, a member of the 37 Regular Course as the 22nd Chief of Army Staff, (COAS).

CEOAFRICA gathered that going by the tradition in the military and other para military forces, officers who are serving members of Regular Courses 35, 36 and 37 in the army, air force and navy may be forced out of service. Reason was that the affected Generals cannot serve under a junior officer to them and must mandatorily go home.

According to a military source, “there is going to be serious shake up in the three services with the appointment of the new COAS.” Another senior officer who didn’t want to be mentioned put the figure of Army Generals that will go at over 30, including two serving members of Course 35.

Although the exact number of Generals that may be forced to resign was not known at the time of filing this report, it was also unclear if the Minister of Defence, Major-General Salihi Magashi (rtd), will allow a chunk of senior military officers to go in the middle of terrorism war.

A senior military source confided in CEOAFRICA that the senior officers may be asked to voluntarily resign for ease of administration or be posted out to head tri-service institutions depending on the discretion of the Military Council.

The late Lt Gen. Attahiru was from Course 35. There are at least 10 Major-Generals from the 35 and 36 Regular Courses still in the Nigerian Army according to records. Some of the senior military officers from Regular Course 35 include the current army’s Chief of Policy and Plan, Major-General Ben Ahanotu, from Anambra State.

Also, the army’s Chief of Administration is Major General A.M. Aliyu of Regular Course 36, from Gombe State. There are also Yahaya’s course mates, such as Major-General Ibrahim Yusuf of Regular Course 37 from Yobe State. He is the army’s Chief of Operation and former Force Commander Multinational Joint Taskforce.

Recall the late COAS, Attahiru was appointed in January 2021, alongside other military chiefs, after years of mounting criticism over spreading violence by the radical Islamist insurgents and armed gangs. When Buhari appointed the present crop of service chiefs, no fewer than 20 Generals from the three services who were members of courses 34 and 35 were retired to pave way for them.

The President was earlier advised against going below Course 35 in picking Attahiru’s replacement for fear of unsettling the army, but sources said the decision may not be unconnected with the move to flush out old hands in the service to pave way for younger officers who can reinvigorate the counter insurgency war.