Meet The New Chief Of Defence Staff

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has approved the immediate retirement from service of all Service Chiefs, the Inspector-General of Police, Advisers, and the Comptroller-General of Customs, as well as their replacements.

iexclusivenews reports that Tinubu appointed Maj Gen Christopher Gwabin Musa, an highly respected, highly hardworking, a fair, firm and a complete gentleman officer as the new Chief of Defence Staff.

Many officers of the Nigerian Army has describe him as God fearing and a complete gentle and good man.

Major General Musa , the immediate past Commander Operation Hadin Kai was born on the 25 Dec 1967 in Sokoto. He hails from Zangon Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

He is of the Infantry Corps and a Member of the 38th Course of the Nigerian Defence Academy. He was Commissioned on 21 September 1991.

He has the following civil qualifications:

Marafa Danbaba Primary School Sokoto – 1974 – 1978.

Model Primary School Dorowa Road Sokoto – 1978 – 1980.

Vocational Training Centre Gaummi, Sokoto – 1980 – 1981.

Federal Government College Sokoto – 1981 – 1985.

College of Advanced Studies, Zaria – 1985 – 1986.

BSc Hons-(Chn) – Nigerian Defence Academy – 1986 – 1990.

Advanced Diploma in Security Management –University of Lagos– 2007 – 2008.

MSc (Mil Science) International College of Defence Studies-National Defence

University Changing – Beijing China – 2012 – 2013.

Military/Civil Courses

Nigerian Defence Academy as member of the 38th RC- 21 Sep 1991.

Mechanical Transportation Officers Course – 1992.

Young Officers Course (Infantry) – 1993.

Regimental Signal Officers Course – 1998.

Junior Course at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College Jaji– 2000.

Senior Course at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College Jaji– 2004 – 2005.

Advance Diploma in Defence and Strategies Course (China) – International

College of Defense Studies National Defense University (ICDS-NDU) – ChangPing China – 2013.

MSc (Military Science) – ICDS-BDU (China) – 2013.

National Dfence College at ICDS (China) – 2013.

Combined Joint Land Component Commander’s Course on Leadership at the US Army War College. – 2017.

General Musa has held the following appointments:

Platoon Commander at 192 Bn – 1991.

Intelligence Officer at 192 Bn – 1993 – 1994.

Administrative Officer at 2 Div Camp (Garrison) – 1995 – 1999.

Pioneer Adjutant 195 Bn – 2000.

Operations Officer – NIBATT 8 UNAMSIL – 2001 – 2002. 195 Bn 2ic – 2002 – 2003. 149 Bn 2ic – 2005 – 2006.

General Staff Officer 1 Training/Operations at HQ 81 Division– 2006 – 2007.

Commanding Officer 73 Bn – 2007 – 2009.

Assistant Director Operational Requirement at Department of Army Policy and Plans – 2009 – 2011.

Infantry Representative/Member Training Team at HQ Nigerian Army Armour Corps – 2011 – 2012.

Deputy Chief of Staff Training/Operations at HQ Infantry Centre and Corp– 2013 – 2014.

Chief of Staff at HQ 2 Division – 2014 – 2015.

Commandant Depot Nigerian Army – 2015 –2017.

Principal Staff Officer (Combat Arms) at Army HQ Department of Projects and Programmes – 2017.

Pioneer Executive Director Nigerian Army Farms and Ranches Ltd– 2017

Commander 82 Division Task Force Brigade OP LAST HOLD in the North East– 2018.

Commander Sector 3 OP LAFIYA DOLE – 2019.

Comd Sect 3 Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Tchad Region– 2019.

Chief of General Duties TRADOC – 2019 – 2020.

Director Campaign Planning AHQ DATOPs – 2020.

Director Training AHQ-DATOPs – 2020.

Senior Research Fellow, Nigerian Army Research Centre– 2021.

Theatre Comd JTF (NE) Op HADIN KAI – 2021 – 2023.

Commander Infantry Corps – 2023 till date

The general has participated in the following

OP MESA.

OP SECOND HEAVEN.

OP FOCUS RELIEF, (Joint Training/Ops with the US Troops)– 2000.

United Nation Mission in Sierra Leone – 2001 – 200.

OP HAKURI – 2002 – 2003.

OP SAFE CONDUCT – 2007.

OP RESTORE HOPE – 2007 – 2008.

OP SAFE CONDUCT – 2015.

OP AYAM APATUMEH – 2018.

OP LAST HOLD – 2018.

OP LAFIYA DOLE – 2019.

Multi-National Joint Task Force Lake Tchad – 2019.

OP KANTANA JIMLAM – 2020.

JTF (NE) Op HADIN KAI – 2021 till date.

HONOURS/AWARDS

The new CDS has the following Honours/Awards:

BSc Hons (Chn) NDA – 1990.

UNAMSIL Medal – 2002.

Passed Staff Course (psc) – 2004 – 2005.

Forces Service Star – 2003.

Meritorious Service Star – 2009.

Distinguished Service Star – 2015.

Member Nigerian Institute of Management – 2008.

Advance Diploma in Security Management at Unilag – 2008.

Member Nigerian Institute of Industrial Security – 2008.

General Operation Medal – 2009.

Command Medal (CO 73 Bn) – 2009.

Chief of Army Staff Commendation Award – 2009.

Silver Jubilee Medal – 2010.

Meritorious Service – 2012.

Fellow-NDU (ICDS-NDU)-ChangPing China – 2013.

Masters in Military Science at the ICDS-NDU China – 2013.

Diploma in Defense and Strategy ICDS-NDU Chin – 2013.

Centenary Medal – 2014.

Distinguished Service Star – 2016.

Training Support Medal – 2017.

OP LAST HOLD Medal – 2018.

OP LAFIYA DOLE Medal – 2019.

MNJTF Medal – 2021.

Grand Service Star (GSS) – 21 Sep 21.

Field Commander Medal of Honour (FCMH) – Jun 21 – till date.

Operation HADIN KAI Medal (OPHK) – Jun 21 – till date.

Fellow Disaster Management and Safety Science (FDMSS) – Sep 22

General Gwabin Musa is married to Mrs Lilian Oghogho Musa and blessed with 4 children, namely, Kuyet, Yashim, Bobai and Ndih.

His Hobbies include Service to humanity.

It could be recalled that the new CDS was the commander of Operations Hadin Kai when the insurgents (Boko Haram) were surrendering in drones and the rate of attacks were drastically brought to a halt.

He is an excellent leader, a good follower, a caring commander who listens to the plight of his surbordinates.

A fearless commander who leads from the front, whose command traits has become a case study for officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army and now, will be a standard for the Nigerian Armed Forces as a whole.

He is incorruptible, with highest level of integrity and straight forwardness. He uses the resources allocated to him while in any command judiciously and builds structures that will outlive many generations.

‘General Musa is a complete good man’, our source revealed.

Another defence correspondent said, ” With this appointment of Oga Musa, I am convinced that Tinubu is set for change”