The Defence Headquarters has ordered some top military officers to proceed on immediate voluntary retirement.
Politics Nigeria reports that the retirement of the senior officers is in line with the long-standing military tradition that officers who were senior to the service chiefs would leave the force upon new appointment by the president.
According to a memo dated June 26 and signed by Maj Gen Y. Yahaya on behalf of the Chief of Defence Staff, the affected officers include generals, brigadiers-general, air vice marshals, and rear admirals in the Nigerian Army, Air Force, and Nigerian Navy.
The understanding is that senior military officers are unlikely to take orders from their juniors.
President Tinubu had recently sacked General Lucky Irabor who was the Chief of Defence Staff; the Chief of Army Staff, Lieut Gen Farouk Yahaya; the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo, and Air Marshal Oludayo Amao, the Chief of Air Staff and replaced them with new military chiefs.
The new service chiefs are Maj Gen Christopher Musa who is the Chief of Defence Staff; the Chief of Army Staff, Maj Gen Taoreed Lagbaja; the Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla while Air Vice Marshal Hassan Abubakar was appointed the Chief of Air Staff.
DIG Kayode Egbetokun was appointed as the acting Inspector-General of Police and Maj. Gen. E Undiandeye, Chief of Defence Intelligence.
