In spite of escalating insurgency across the country, no fewer than 500 senior military officers, including Major-Generals, Brigadier-Generals, Rear Admirals, and Air Vice Marshals, have allegedly been forced into early retirement following the changes of service chiefs under the Muhammadu Buhari and Bola Tinubu administrations.
Barrage of retirements, across the Army, Air Force, and Navy between 2015 and 2023, stemmed from the long-standing military tradition of disengaging senior officers who are either senior to or of the same course as newly appointed service chiefs.
According to the military, the move is aimed at maintaining discipline, hierarchy, and operational efficiency within the services.
Data collated from media reports indicate that over 500 top officers have quit the services in the past eight years.
The first wave of retirements occurred shortly after former President Muhammadu Buhari appointed new service chiefs in July 2015. They include Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai as Chief of Army Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar as Chief of Air Staff, and Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as Chief of Naval Staff.
Over 100 senior Army officers, mainly Major Generals and Brigadier Generals, were forced to retire, while the Navy lost over 20 senior officers, including Commodores and at least one Rear Admiral.
A second phase was recorded in 2021 after Buhari replaced all the service chiefs and appointed a new set-Air Marshal Isiaka Amao (Air Force), late Lt.-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru (Army) and Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo (Navy).
That exercise saw about 123 generals exit the Army, while over 50 senior Air Force officers, and another 50 naval officers also left service.
The Army again witnessed another wave in May 2021 following the death of Gen. Attahiru, which led to the appointment of Gen. Farouk Yahaya, who was junior to several serving generals.
His emergence triggered the voluntary retirement of over 20 generals from Courses 35 and 36.
The pattern has continued under President Tinubu. Two weeks after he assumed office, the President, on June 19, 2023, appointed new service chiefs, prompting mass retirements across the services.
Appointment of late Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, and Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, as the heads of their respective services, led to the untimely retirement of 51 army generals, 49 top Air Force officers and 17 naval officers.
Tinubu executed a shake-up in the military leadership last Friday. Gen Olufemi Oluyede was moved to replace Gen Christopher Musa as CDS; Maj-Gen Waidi Shaibu becomes the COAS; Air Vice Marshal Sunday Aneke takes over as CAS, while Rear Admiral Idi Abbas assumes office as CNS. The Chief of Defence Intelligence, Maj-Gen Emmanuel Undiendeye, retains his position.
Under the latest development, about 60 top officers are expected to disengage from service should the military tradition continue.