Enter Tinubu’s security team: Geographer, A1 all-rounder, mathematician — and the man who seized $8m cash

BY CLAIRE MOM AND IDRIS SHEHU

On Monday, President Bola Tinubu approved the immediate retirement of all service chiefs and the inspector-general of police, and announced their successors as well as heads of other key agencies in the security sector.

The move is the latest as he consolidates his new government. 

Here is what you need to know about them.

CHRIS MUSA: CHIEF OF DEFENCE STAFF

Musa, major general, was born on Christmas day in 1967, which spurred his parents to name him Christopher. Although his birthplace is Sokoto state, Musa’s parents are from Zangon Kataf LGA of Kaduna state. Upon his admission into the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1986, Musa rose to the rank of a major general. He became the theatre commander of Operation Hadin Kai, a joint task force operation to fight the insurgents in the country’s north-east, in 2021.

In November 2021, Musa claimed over 17,000 Boko Haram insurgents had surrendered to troops under his watch. Speaking with TheCable in 2022, Musa exalted the de-radicalisation programme of repentant Boko Haram members, saying the “first few ones saw that they were treated well, they started calling the other ones.”

TAOREED LAGBAJA: CHIEF OF ARMY STAFF

Abiodun Lagbaja, a major general, was born in Ilobu, Irepodun LGA, Osun state on February 28, 1968. He is a member of the Regular Course 39 of the Nigerian Defence Academy and was commissioned as second lieutenant on 19 September 1992 into the Nigerian Army infantry corps. He studied geography at the NDA and holds an MSc in strategic studies from the US Army War College.

Lagbaja has commanded 9 Brigade, Ikeja, Lagos state, 2 Brigade, Uyo, Akwa Ibom state, 82 Division, Enugu state. In April, he was redeployed from 1 Division Kaduna to the army headquarters in Abuja as Chief of Operation (DAOP).

Lagbaja is the first army chief from the south-west since Alani Akinrinade left the position in 1980 — some 43 years ago.

EMMANUEL OGALLA: CHIEF OF NAVAL STAFF

Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, a rear admiral, was born on December 20, 1968, in Igbo Eze North LGA of Enugu state. He obtained the WASC from the Nigerian Military School, Zaria, in June 87 and graduated as the best boy in sciences. He scored A1 in all subjects except English language.

He was commissioned as a sub-lieutenant in 1992 and rose to the rank of rear admiral on September 16, 2021. Ogalla was the base operations officer in NNS Pathfinder, an anti-illegal bunkering operation in the Niger Delta. He was the former director of audit at the Naval headquarters.

HASSAN ABUBAKAR: CHIEF OF AIR STAFF

Hassan Bala Abubakar was born on September 11, 1970 and hails from Shanono LGA in Kano state. Abubakar enlisted into the Nigerian Air Force as a member of the NDA Regular Course 39 and was commissioned pilot officer on September 19, 1992. He is an air vice marshal. 

Some of the appointments he has held include officer, commanding admin services flight/ group public relations officer, 97 special operations group NAF Port Harcourt; officer commanding yellow squadron – Air Force Military School Jos; admin officer Primary Flying Training Wing – 301 FTS NAF Kaduna; and Officer Commanding ‘B’ Squadron (Do 228) – 81 Air Maritime Group NAF, Benin.

KAYODE EGBETOKUN: ACTING IGP 

Egbetokun was born on September 4, 1964 in Erinja, Yewa South LGA of Ogun state. He started his journey into the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) in 1990 as a cadet assistant superintendent of police and in 1999, he was appointed chief security officer to Tinubu, then governor of Lagos. 

Egbetokun graduated from the University of Lagos with a bachelor of science degree in mathematics in June 1987 and lectured briefly at Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, before his enlistment into the police. His other academic qualifications include an MSc in engineering analysis also from the University of Lagos, 1996; post-graduate diploma in petroleum economics from Delta State University, 2000; and an MBA from Lagos State University, 2004.

EMMANUEL UNDIANDEYE: CHIEF OF DEFENCE INTELLIGENCE

Undiandeye, a major general, is from Bedia in Obudu LGA, Cross River state. He was a member of the Troop Contributing Countries (TCC) working group for the development of the second edition of the United Nation’s Infantry Battalion Manual (UNIBAM) published in 2020 by the UN’s office of military affairs. He was at the Defence Intelligence Agency as a brigadier general until he was promoted to major general in November 2020. He was commandant of the Martin Luther Agwai International Leadership and Peace Keeping Centre (MLAILPKC), Jaji, Kaduna state.

WALE ADENIYI: COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF CUSTOMS

Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, from Kwara state, served as Customs spokesperson for almost two decades until January 2017 when he was redeployed to the Apapa area command. He was promoted to the rank of a comptroller in 2017 and appointed deputy commandant of the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College, Gwagwalada, Abuja. In 2019, he was redeployed to serve as the comptroller in charge of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) command, Lagos.

Adeniyi was promoted to the rank of assistant comptroller general in February 2020 shortly after he supervised the seizure of $8.07 million cash being illegally taken out of Nigeria through the E-Wing of the international airport tarmac. He holds the national honour of the Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR).