Meet The Only 34 Lieutenant Generals And 11 Generals In The History of Nigerian Army

In the over 150 years of the Nigerian Army, only few people have so far been privileged to rise to the exclusive rank of Lieutenant General and General.

General Yakubu Gowon is the first four start general in Nigerian army and after him, the Nigerian army has produced a total of ten other four-star generals throughout its history. 

However, the first-ever pair of Nigerian Army officers to be directly promoted to and serve on the rank of lieutenant general were the duo of Olusegun Obasanjo and Theophilus Danjuma. This happened in January 1976 and after that twenty seven officers have attained the rank. Five of these lieutenant generals have thereafter been promoted to the rank of four-star general.

Of the total of twenty-nine officers who have attained the rank of lieutenant general since 1976, five officers (Bali, Abacha, Ogomudia, Agwai and Azazi) have risen to the rank of four-star general , without skipping any rank.

It is noteworthy that only Sani Abacha ever rose to become military Head of State whilst he was on the substantive rank of four-star general. A couples of others skipped the Lieutenant General rank.

This article briefly profiles all the Generals and Lieutenant Generals in Nigerian Army history

1.  General Yakubu Gowon

General Yakubu Gowon served as the head of state of Nigeria from 1966 to 1975.January 1966, he became Nigeria's youngest military chief of staff at the age of 31 .

2.General Murtala Muhammed

General Murtala Muhammed was the 4th Head of State of Nigeria from 1975 until his assassination. Murtala Muhammed was killed at the age of 37 in his black Mercedes Benz saloon car on 13 February 1976. 

The black mercedes benz saloon car

3. General Olusegun Obasanjo 

He was the military head of state from 1976 to 1979 and later the President of Nigeria from 1999 to 2007. In January 1976, both Obasanjo and Danjuma were promoted to the ranks of Lieutenant General and when he became the head of State ,he assumed the rank of a four star general 

4.  Lt. General Theopilus Danjuma

He was Chief of Army Staff from July 1975 to October 1979. He was also Minister of Defence under President Olusegun Obasanjo 's administration. Theopilus Danjuma and Obasanjo are the first set of Lt Generals appointed in Nigeria history.

5.  Lt. General Ipoola Alani Akinrinade 

He was the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) from October 1979 to April 1980, and then Chief of Defence Staff until 1981 during the Nigerian Second Republic . In 1979, he rose to the rank of lieutenant general upon his elevation to the command of the Nigerian Army. 

6. Lt. General Gibson Sanda Jalo 

He was the Nigerian Chief of Army Staff from April 1980 until October 1981. He also served as the Nigerian Chief of Defence Staff from 1981 to 1983 during the Nigerian Second Republic. Jalo became a lieutenant general in 1980 when he also took his turn as Chief of Army Staff.

7. Lt. General Mohammed Inuwa Wushishi 

He was Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Nigeria during the Nigerian Second Republic October 1981 – October 1983

8. Lt. General Garba Duba

 He was the Governor of Bauchi State, Nigeria from July 1978 to October 1979 and Administrator of Sokoto State from January 1984 to August 1985 .He later became the commandant Nigeria defence academy

9. General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida

General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida served as military President of Nigeria from 1985 until his resignation in 1993. He also served as the Chief of Army Staff from January 1984 to August 1985

10. General Domkat Yah Bali 

He is a retired four-star General of the Nigerian Army. He was Minister of Defence and member of the Supreme Military Council of 1984 to 1985 as well as the Armed Forces Ruling Council of 1985 to 1990. 

11. General Sani Abacha

General Abacha served as the military head of state of Nigeria from 1993 until his death in 1998.He was also Chief of Army Staff between 1985 to 1990; Chief of Defence Staff between 1990 to 1993; and Minister of Defence . In 1993, Abacha became the first Nigerian soldier to attain the rank of a full military general without skipping a single rank.

12.  Lt General Oladipo Diya 

He is a retired Lt. General in the Nigerian Army. He was appointed Military Governor of Ogun State from January 1984 to August 1985. As Chief of the General Staff , he was the de facto Vice President of Nigeria during the Sani Abacha military junta from 1994 until he was arrested for treason in 1997

13. Lt General Jeremiah Timbut Useni 

He was the Minister responsible for the administration of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja under the Sani Abacha military junta in 1993 till June, 1998

14. Lt Mohammed Balarabe Haladu 

He was a retired Nigerian Army Lieutenant General who served as the Commandant of the Nigerian Defence Academy from 1993 to 1994. He was also a former federal Minister for Industry

15. Lt General Joshua Dogonyaro 

He was a former ECOMOG commander . He retired in 1993.

16.  Lt. General Salihu Ibrahim

He was the Chief of Army Staff from August 1990 until September 1993 during the military regime of General Ibrahim Babangida

17.  Lt. General Aliyu Muhammed Gusau

He was a commander of the Nigerian Defence Academy . He was also the Chief of Army Staff during Ernest Shonekan and Sani Abacha's regime. He has also served as National Security Adviser to three presidents

18.  Lt General Ishaya Bamaiyi

The former Chief of Army Staff remains the only SSC officer to have attained the rank of lieutenant general till date.

19. General Abdulsalami Abubakar

He is a Nigerian statesman and military general who served as the de facto President of Nigeria from 1998 to 1999. He was also Chief of Defence Staff between 1993 to 1998. 

20.  Lt. General Victor Samuel Leonard Malu 

He was Nigeria's Chief of Army Staff from 1999 to 2001 and Force Commander of the ECOMOG peace-keeping force in Liberia from 1996 to 1998.

21. General Martin Luther Agwai 

He served as Chief of Army Staff 2001–2003 and Chief of Defence Staff betwen 2006-2007 

22. General Alexander Odeareduo Ogomudia

Born in Uzere, Isoko South, Delta State.The retired Nigerian army officer served as Chief of Army Staff, April 2001 – June 2003 and Chief of Defence Staff June 2003 – June 2006

23.  General Owoye Andrew Azazi 

He served as the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) 2006–2007  and Chief of Defence Staff (CDS)  2007–2008 and retirement, he was appointed National Security Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan between 2010–2012

On 15 December 2012 , he died along with Governor Patrick Yakowa of Kaduna state in a naval helicopter crash in Okoroba Village of Bayelsa State.

24.  Lt General Rufus Modupe Kupolati 

He was the Force Commander of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO).

25. Lieutenant General Abel Akale

 He was the commandant Nigeria Defence Academy (2004-2006)

26. Lieutenant-General Joseph Olorungbon Owonibi

Lt General Owonobi was a one-time Force Commander of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL).

27. Lieutenant General Chikadibia Obiakor

Isaac Obiakor hails from Awka-South Local Government Area in Anambra state, Nigeria. He was Military Adviser, Assistant Secretary General Office of Military Affairs, United Nations Department of Peace Keeping Operations (UNDPKO), UN Headquarters New York. He was also a one-time Force Commander of theUnited Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL)

28. Lt General Luka Nyeh Yusuf

 He served as Chief of Army Staff (COAS) between 2007 and 2008. 

29. Lt General Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau

He served as Chief of Army Staff between 2008 and 2010 and Minister of the Interior from 2015 to 2019.

30. Lt .General Azubike Ihejirika

 In September 2010, Major General Azubike Ihejirika was appointed Chief of Army Staff and promoted to the rank of a Lieutenant General.

31.  Lt General KTJ Minimah

Having been appointed Chief of Army Staff in mid-January 2014, Major General KTJ Minimah got promoted to the substantive rank of Lieutenant General. 

32. General Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin

He is the current Chief of Defence Staff .He was promoted to a General in August 2015 by President Muhammadu Buhari upon his confirmation as Chief of Defence Staff. With the promotion he became the 11th General in the history of the Nigerian Army.

33. Lt General Tukur Yusuf Buratai 

He was appointed Chief of Army Staff on 13 July 2015 and promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General

34. Lt.General Lamidi Adeosun 

Major General Lamidi Adeosun, the present Chief of Training and Operations at Army Headquarters is the 29th Lieutenant General in the history of the Nigerian Army. He was granted special promotion by President Muhammadu Buhari for his extraordinary feats, exemplary leadership, loyalty and uncommon commitment in the counter-insurgency operation in the North-Eastern part of Nigeria.