President Bola Tinubu on Thursday decorated the newly appointed service chiefs with their official ranks at a ceremony held inside the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The decoration was performed alongside Vice President Kashim Shettima and the spouses of the officers, who were present in their respective service uniforms.
The newly decorated officers are General Olufemi Oluyede, Chief of Defence Staff; Lieutenant-General Wahidi Shaibu, Chief of Army Staff; Air Marshal Kennedy Aneke, Chief of Air Staff; and Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, Chief of Naval Staff.
Their decoration followed the Senate’s approval on Wednesday, where the four senior officers were screened in a closed-door session on strategies to improve national security and inter-agency coordination.
“This ceremony is a confirmation of the trust the administration has placed in you to strengthen the country’s defence architecture,” the President said during the event.
The event was attended by senior government officials, lawmakers, family members, and top military officers. The President, Vice President, and the officers’ spouses took turns pinning on the new ranks.
The development comes a week after the Presidency announced a major restructuring of the military high command.
A statement by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, said the reorganisation was aimed at “injecting fresh direction and renewed focus into the nation’s defence leadership.”
The Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major General E. A. P. Undiendeye, retained his position.
Meanwhile, the President’s Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, dismissed speculation linking the shake-up to alleged coup rumours, describing the claims as unfounded.
“The President acted within his constitutional powers. Service chiefs can be appointed or replaced at any time. This has nothing to do with any coup allegation,” Onanuga stated.
Earlier in the week, Tinubu met privately with the service chiefs and reportedly instructed them to intensify operations against terrorists, bandits, and other armed groups, particularly in the North.
The meeting followed recent security concerns and reports of disciplinary actions within the military ranks, which the Defence Headquarters later clarified were unrelated to any plot to undermine
