President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in his office at the villa
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has made changes to the composition of the military leadership with the appointment of new Service Chiefs.
According to a statement today, Friday, 24th October 2025, by the Special Adviser to Mr President on Media and Public Communication, Chief Sunday Dare, the President has named former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Olufemi Oluyede, as the new Chief of Defence Staff, replacing General Christopher Musa.
The statement said that Major-General W. Shaibu has been appointed Chief of Army Staff. While Air Vice Marshal S.K. Aneke takes over as Chief of Air Staff, and Rear Admiral I. Abbas begins to function as the new Chief of Naval Staff.
It further clarified that the Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major-General E.A.P. Undiendeye, retains his position.
L-R: Air Vice Marshal S.K. Aneke, Chief of Air Staff, Lt. General Olufemi Olatunbosun Oluyede, Chief of Defence Staff, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Commander-in-Chief, Nigerian Armed Forces, Rear Admiral I. Abbas, Chief of Naval Staff, Major-General W. Shaibu, Chief of Army Staff.
Furthermore, the statement by Dare announced that “all appointments take immediate effect”.
Mr President expressed deep appreciation to the outgoing Chief of Defence Staff, General Musa, and other retired Service Chiefs for the commitment to their fatherland, and “patriotic service and dedicated leadership” during their tenure.
President Tinubu charged the newly appointed military heads to justify the confidence his administration reposed in them by demonstrating “enhanced professionalism, vigilance, and comradeship” in the discharge of their duties.
Abridged Profile of Lieutenant General Olufemi Olatunbosun Oluyede- Chief of Defence Staff
The new Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, Lieutenant General Olufemi Olatunbosun Oluyede was born in 1968 and hails from Ikere in Ekiti State.
General Oluyede’s career spans nearly four decades of military service.
A member of the 39th Regular Course of the Nigerian Defence Academy, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1992 (retroactive to 1987).
Lieutenant General Olufemi Olatunbosun Oluyede
Over the years, Oluyede has held several command and staff positions, including Platoon Commander at 65 Battalion, Company Commander at 177 Guards Battalion, Staff Officer at the Guards Brigade, Commandant of the Amphibious Training School, and Commander of the 27 Task Force Brigade, where he oversaw counter-insurgency operations in the North East under Operation HADIN KAI.
He has also participated in international peacekeeping missions, notably with the ECOWAS Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) in Liberia and Operation HARMONY IV in Bakassi.
His military education includes passing the prestigious Staff Course, and he is a member of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Nigeria’s highest policy think tank.
Promoted to Major-General in September 2020, Oluyede’s distinguished service has earned him several honours, including the Corps Medal of Honour, Grand Service Star, Field Command Medal, Field Training Medal, and the Chief of Army Staff Commendation Award.
Married with three children, General Oluyede is expected to coordinate the strategic operations of the Army, Navy and Air Force, a crucial task amid Nigeria’s evolving security challenges.
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