President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has decorated the new Service Chiefs with their new ranks in the military to suit their new positions.

The newly decorated handlers of the nation’s Armed Forces include Lieutenant General, now General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede, as Chief of Defence Staff; and Major General now Lieutenant General Emmanuel Undiendeye Undiendeye as Chief of Defence Intelligence (CDI).

Others are Major General, now Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu as Chief of Army Staff (COAS); Air Vice Marshal, now Air Marshal Kevin Aneke as Chief of Air Staff;

Service chiefs pledge improved security, local arms production, technology use

Tinubu last Friday announced the replacement of the Service Chiefs, a move that has been attributed to the need to refocus and strengthen national security.

While commenting on his action, President Tinubu, in a post on his verified X handle, charged the new military chief helmsmen to “deepen professionalism, vigilance, and unity within our Armed Forces as they serve our nation with honour”.

Tinubu decorates Service Chiefs with new ranks
Tinubu decorates Service Chiefs

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has decorated the new Service Chiefs with their new ranks in the military to suit their new positions.

The newly decorated handlers of the nation’s Armed Forces include Lieutenant General, now General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede, as Chief of Defence Staff; and Major General now Lieutenant General Emmanuel Undiendeye Undiendeye as Chief of Defence Intelligence (CDI).

Others are Major General, now Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu as Chief of Army Staff (COAS); Air Vice Marshal, now Air Marshal Kevin Aneke as Chief of Air Staff;

Service chiefs pledge improved security, local arms production, technology use

Tinubu last Friday announced the replacement of the Service Chiefs, a move that has been attributed to the need to refocus and strengthen national security.

While commenting on his action, President Tinubu, in a post on his verified X handle, charged the new military chief helmsmen to “deepen professionalism, vigilance, and unity within our Armed Forces as they serve our nation with honour”.

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the South-West Development Commission (SWDC), Dr. Charles Akinola, has informed the commission is working on establishing a South-West Investment Fund to catalyse investment across the six states of the region.

Akinola said the proposed fund, which will be largely private sector-driven, is designed to attract capital for strategic regional projects and address the infrastructure needs of the South-West.

He stated on Thursday at the South-West Stakeholders’ Dialogue organised by Afenifere, the DAWN Commission, and the South-West Governors’ Forum, held in Akure, Ondo State, with the theme “Strengthening Democracy Through Dialogue: Assessing Progress, Charting the Future.”

“We are designing a best-in-class investment fund that can attract private capital to finance outstanding regional projects and meet the urgent infrastructure needs of the South-West,” Akinola said.

The SWDC boss explained that the commission is intensifying efforts to achieve greater regional connectivity and integrated development as part of a broader agenda to promote inclusive growth and shared prosperity across the region.

According to him, consultations have begun with development partners and private investors to design a framework for intra-regional transportation corridors, agricultural value chain enhancement, and technology-driven industrial clusters linking major cities and rural communities.

He noted that improving road networks, digital infrastructure, and economic linkages would facilitate trade and mobility while strengthening social cohesion and competitiveness across the South-West.

“The development commissions, like the SWDC, focus on regional projects that are often left unattended to. We’re looking at integrative initiatives such as regional connectivity by rail and highways.

“For instance, it took us about four hours to get from Ibadan to Akure, How do we get state governments, the federal government, and the private sector to collaborate on such critical infrastructure?” he asked.

Akinola stressed that the SWDC’s strategy aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s economic transformation agenda and the renewed commitment of South-West governors to a unified development blueprint.

He said improved connectivity will enable the region to leverage its human capital and economic potential to drive national growth, attract investment, and create jobs for millions of young people.

“We will be engaging in the coming weeks with a broad range of stakeholders – communities, governors, trade groups – to define a shared vision for the commission. This inclusiveness is critical to ensuring collective ownership and success,” he stated.

Akinola recalled that he previously chaired the expert group set up by South-West Governors between 2020 and 2021 to produce the technical report that laid the foundation for the establishment of the SWDC.

“We engaged governors across the states to identify priorities and shared perspectives on regional development. It’s an ongoing process. We cannot succeed without the active participation of the governors and the people,” he noted.

He reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to working closely with traditional rulers, trade groups, youth associations, and market women to drive a shared vision of prosperity for the region.

“We stand on a covenant with the people of the South-West that we will do our best. Together with our partners, the governors, Kabiyesis, trade groups, and communities, we will pursue a united vision to drive prosperity through the work of the South-West Development Commission,” Akinola declared.

Multiple security sources confirmed to our correspondence on Tuesday that the army raid occurred at Sylva’s home in the Maitama area of Abuja.
Some Nigerian Army personnel have raided the Abuja residence of a former governor and former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, in connection with an alleged coup plot currently under investigation by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA).

Multiple security sources confirmed on Tuesday that the army raid occurred at Sylva’s home in the Maitama area of Abuja.

According to insiders, a “special military team” carried out the operation after intelligence linked the “former South-South governor” to secret meetings allegedly held with some of the detained military officers.

“Nigerian Army special team ransacked the home of Timipre Sylva, who is believed to have fled Nigeria,” one top source familiar with the development told Newsthumb

“He is the South-South former governor frequently mentioned in the case. His brother, named Paga, was picked up during the raid. The operation also extended to his Bayelsa residence.”

Another security insider said that while no official statement had been issued regarding the raid, the action was “not random” but “a direct response to intelligence linking certain political figures to the alleged plotters.”

This development comes amid growing tension within the armed forces following SaharaReporters’ exclusive report recently, that at least 16 senior military officers had been detained incommunicado by the DIA over an alleged coup plot.

The detained officers, drawn from the Army, Navy, and Air Force, have been held for over three weeks in an undisclosed Abuja facility under what sources described as “unusual and suspicious conditions.”

Family members told our correspondence they initially believed their relatives had been kidnapped, as there was no official communication from the military regarding their arrests.

“It’s been 18 days since those 16 officers were detained in an undisclosed location. At first, we thought our brother was kidnapped before finding out what transpired from his friend who works in the NSA office,” a family member had said.

Security analysts have questioned why the DIA, an intelligence agency under the Ministry of Defence, is spearheading the investigation instead of allowing each military service to handle its personnel internally, a move seen as “highly political.”

“If the military were truly conducting a disciplinary operation, over 10,000 cases could emerge. Why only 16 officers, and why hand them to the DIA?” one retired officer asked. “This smells of politics. There’s clearly more going on behind the scenes.”

Speculations are now rife that the alleged plot and subsequent arrests may have deeper political undertones, potentially involving some former office holders with ties to late ex-President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

Sylva, a former governor of Bayelsa State and a close ally of late Buhari, served as Minister of State for Petroleum Resources between 2019 and 2023.

He was also the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in the November 2023 Bayelsa election, which he lost to incumbent Governor Douye Diri of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

Former Petroleum Minister, Timipre Sylva who is under investigations for plotting a Military coup to topple the Government of President Bola Tinubu, fled Nigeria to Senegal from where he is to go into hiding in Argentina, a South American country.

Insiders said the former Minister fled through the creeks immediately he got wind that the coup plot had leaked.
Sylva allegedly has several businesses in Senegal and Argentina and was lobbying to be made Nigerian Ambassador to Argentina.

Highly placed sources told me that the first military officer arrested in connection with the coup plot wasted no time in naming Sylva as the arrowhead and financier of the coup plot.
The source also confirmed that about N46billion was traced to an account linked to the former Petroleum Minister.

The Abuja home of the former was raided by officials from the Defence Intelligence Agency, DIA. His brother, Paga, was picked up during the raid. This was after his Bayelsa residence had earlier been raided where incriminating evidence were allegedly found including cash in foreign denominations.

Sylva is alleged to have provided fundings for the coup operation.