There are indications that President Muhammadu Buhari has started searching for a new COAS to replace the late COAS, Lt Gen Ibrahim Attahiru.
Attahiru and ten other military officers died in a plane crash involving a Nigerian Air Forces’s Beechcraft 350 aircraft on Friday in Kaduna.
Reports also say there is intense lobbying in the military hierarchy for the senior military position.
There are indications that President Buhari will announce a new COAS today or Wednesday, according to sources familiar with ongoing permutations.
Daily Trust reports that at least 6 Generals are being considered. They include:
- Maj Gen Ibrahim Manu Yusuf
- Maj Gen Danjuma Ali-Keffi
- Maj Gen Benjamin Ahanotu
- Maj Gen Jamil Sirham
- Maj Gen Faruk Yahaya
- Maj Gen Fidelis Azinta
The newspaper also says that Maj Gen Manu Yusuf, Army’s Chief of Operation is highly regarded for his exploits as Force Commander, Multinational Joint Taskforce (MNJTF) and General Officer Commanding 7 Division.
Consideration for him may be hampered by the fact that he is from the same state as the Acting Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba.
Much like Maj Gen Yusuf, Maj Gen Sirham has records of many successful exploits as a professional soldier but he is from the same state as the Minister of Defence, Maj Gen Bashir Magashir (rtd) and the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo.
Maj Generals Ben Ahanotu, Chief of Policy and Plans and Fidelis Azinta, Director Physical Training are also eminently qualified but may not be picked because the President will likely prefer a northern candidate.
Maj Gen Ali-Keffi, General Oficer Commanding (GOC) 1 Division, Kaduna may also not be picked considering her has many senior colleagues ahead him.
A source says however, that having many senior colleagues ahead of an officer may not come in the way of him being given the new assignment considering that many Maj Generals were retired in the past to pave way for a desired choice.
“When Dambazau was appointed a new COAS over 30 Major-Generals were retired. When Ihejirika, Minima and Even Buratai were appointed, the army retired about 30 generals or more each time.”
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