At least 500 senior military officers, including Major Generals, Brigadier Generals, Rear Admirals, and Air Vice Marshals, have been forced into early retirement following successive changes in service chiefs under former President Muhammadu Buhari and President Bola Tinubu.
The wave of retirements — which affected the Army, Navy, and Air Force between 2015 and 2023 — stems from a long-standing military tradition requiring the disengagement of senior officers who are either senior to or of the same course as newly appointed service chiefs.
Military authorities argue the practice preserves discipline, hierarchy, and operational efficiency, but critics say it has become excessive and wasteful.
Data compiled from multiple reports suggest that more than 500 senior officers have exited the military over the past eight years, although insiders estimate the number could be as high as 900.
Waves of Forced Retirement
The first major purge followed Buhari’s appointment of Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, and Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as service chiefs in July 2015, which led to the retirement of over 100 army generals and about 20 naval officers.
In 2021, when Buhari appointed Lt.-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru (late), Air Marshal Isiaka Amao, and Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo, another over 200 officers were retired across the services. After Attahiru’s death and the appointment of Gen. Farouk Yahaya, more than 20 additional generals left voluntarily.
Under President Tinubu, the tradition continued. His June 2023 appointment of Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, and Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla triggered the retirement of 51 army generals, 49 Air Force officers, and 17 naval officers.
Following Tinubu’s latest military reshuffle last Friday — which saw Gen. Olufemi Oluyede become Chief of Defence Staff — another 60 top officers may soon be disengaged.
Mixed Reactions from Retired Officers
Retired officers expressed contrasting views on the recurring mass retirements.
Gen. Ishola Williams (retd.) criticized the practice as archaic and “a copy of the military regime,” arguing that the system should be restructured to allow natural succession.
“Once the government replaces the service chiefs, it means that their contemporaries will have to retire. It’s bad and abnormal,” he said, calling for a model where the Chief of Defence Staff acts as a principal staff officer to the President, allowing smoother transitions.
Conversely, Brig.-Gen. Adewinbi (retd.) defended the tradition as part of the military’s professional culture but urged the government to retain the expertise of retired generals through a reserve corps.
“You can’t tell the President who to appoint. Many of us have been victims. What government should do is to make use of their experience,” he said.
“Too Many Generals” — Ex-NAF Spokesman
Group Capt. Sadique Shehu (retd.), who served on the Committee for the Reform of the Armed Forces, described the retirements as “structurally flawed and unsustainable.”
He revealed that as of 2022, the Nigerian Armed Forces had about 960 generals for roughly 235,000 personnel, nearly matching the U.S. military, which has about 900 generals for 1.3 million troops.
“That’s too many generals for a small force. If we had fewer generals, each change of service chiefs wouldn’t force out hundreds of officers,” Shehu said.
He blamed poor manpower planning, political interference, and rank inflation, urging the National Assembly to legislate tenure limits and clearer criteria for appointments.
Routine but Costly
Other retired officers, including Maj.-Gen. Lasisi Abidoye and Maj.-Gen. PJO Bojie, described the development as routine, emphasizing that retirement ensures career progression and operational renewal.
Abidoye, however, warned against prolonged tenure for service chiefs, noting that “staying longer than three years stagnates subordinates and kills innovation.”
Despite the divergent views, analysts agree that Nigeria’s frequent military reshuffles and the resulting mass retirements have created financial, institutional, and morale challenges, even as the country continues to battle insurgency and insecurity nationwide.
