Following the appointment of new service chiefs on Monday 19th June, 2023 by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, about 100 senior officers may proceed on compulsory retirement.
Report has it that, top officers in the Nigerian Army, Air Force and Nigeria Navy who are set to retire and exit the service include Generals, Brigadiers-General, Air Vice Marshals and Admirals.
Logically, the planned retirement of the senior officers across the three services seems to be in accordance with the long-standing military tradition that officers who were senior to the service chiefs would be retired.
In line with the military custom, many officers would be promoted to their next rank to fill the vacancies that would be created by the retiring generals as part of the reconstructing of the services by the new service chiefs.
The President had earlier announced the immediate retirement of General Lucky Irabor who was the Chief of Defence Staff; Lieut Gen. Farouk Yahaya, the Chief of Army Staff; Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo, the Chief of Naval Staff and Air Marshal Oludayo Amao, the Chief of Air Staff and replaced them with new military chiefs.
It will be recalled that 24 Major General and 38 Brigadier General were retired last December after serving the nation for 35 years.
The new service chiefs are Major Gen. Christopher Musa who is the Chief of Defence Staff; the Chief of Army Staff Major Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja; Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, the Chief of Naval Staff while Vice Marshal Hassan Abubakar was appointed the Chief of Air Staff.
In line with precedence, Major Gen. Musa, Chief of Defence Staff will adorn a full four-star General rank, while the new Chief of Army Staff, Major Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja will be decorated with the three-star rank of Lieutenant General and Ogalla with the same rank equivalent of Vice Admiral and Abubakar with the Air Marshal rank.
The senior officers are to proceed on retirement owing to the understanding that senior military officers are unlikely to take orders from their juniors.