Last week President Goodluck Jonathan retired the Chief of Defence Staff Air Chief Marshal Oluseyi Petinrin and Chief of Air Staff  Air Marshal Muhammed Umar.

The new Chief of Defence Staff is Admiral Ola Sa’ad Ibrahim (who until his appointment was the Chief of Naval Staff). The Chief of Army Staff, Lt-General Azubuike Ihejirika, was the only service chief to retain his post.

Admiral Ola Sa’ad Ibrahim

Vice Admiral Ibrahim was born on June 15, 1955. A graduate of the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna, and the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, he trained with the Royal and Indian navies. Vice Admiral Ibrahim is a navigation and direction specialist.

He holds a Bachelor of Law degree from Ahmadu Bello University. He was at the Royal College of Defence Studies, UK, as a member in 2002, where he also obtained a Master’s degree from the Department of War Studies and Public Policy at the Kings’ College, University of London.

He was appointed navy secretary in August 2005. After that he was appointed chief of administration and subsequently chief of training and operations. In February 2009, he was appointed flag officer commanding Western Naval Command. He was appointed  the chief of the naval staff on September 8, 2010.

Air Marshal Alex Sabundu Badeh

Air Vice Marshal Badeh was born in Vimtim, Mubi North local government area, Adamawa State, on January 10, 1957. He was admitted into the Nigerian Defence Academy as a member of the 21 Regular Course on January 3, 1977, and was commissioned pilot officer on July 3, 1979. He was promoted air vice marshal on January 3, 2008.

He started his flying career at the 301 Flying Training School on the Bulldog Primary Trainer aircraft in 1979. Between 1981 and 82, he attended undergraduate pilot training at Vance Air Force Base in the United States Air Force.

He attended the junior division course at Armed Forces Command and Staff College in 1988, and the senior division course at the same institution between 1995 and 1996. He attended the National War College as a member of Course 14 and graduated in August 2006. He was at the University of Ibadan for an M.Sc in Strategic Studies.

AVM Badeh has held several appointments, among which are staff officer, 2 Operations, at Training Command; CO, administration, operations support and operations wings, and then the office of fleet operations officer all in the presidential air fleet. He was commander, presidential air fleet, from June 2002 to October 25, 2004. He also held the offices of command training officer at Training Command; deputy director, training; and director of research at the Defence HQ.

AVM Badeh was a directing staff and director, national military strategy, at the National Defence College. The senior officer is a qualified flying instructor and has accumulated over 6,000 flying hours on the Bulldog 123, Do 128-6, Do 228, Hawker 125, Hawker 1000, Falcon 900 and Gulfstream 5 airplanes. AVM Badeh has extensive international flight operations experience. Until his appointment as chief of the air staff, he was the air officer commanding, Training Command, Kaduna.

Vice-Admiral Dele Joseph Ezeoba

A graduate of the Nigerian Defence Academy Kaduna Regular Course 22 and the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, he trained at various times with the United States, Royal and Indian navies.   Rear Admiral Dele Joseph is a Navigation and Direction Specialist and holds a Master of Science Degree in Strategic Studies from the University of Ibadan.

Rear Admiral Ezeoba has had tours of duty onboard several Nigerian Naval Ships in various capacities and successfully commanded different classes of Nigerian Naval Ships including the nation’s flagship, Nigerian Naval Ship ARADU.   He was a Directing Staff at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji and the National Defence College, Abuja. He would later return to the Defence College as Director Curriculum and Programmes Development.

Rear Admiral DJ Ezeoba also served as the Director of Operations and later as the Chief of Training and Operations at the Naval Headquarters.   It was from this appointment that he was appointed as the Deputy Commandant of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji. Thereafter, he was appointed as the Chief of Administration at the Defence Headquarters, the appointment he held till his elevation to the present appointment of the Chief of the Naval Staff on 4 October 2012.

Rear Admiral Ezeoba is fluent in various languages including, Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo. He is a member Royal Institute of Navigation and the US Naval Institute. He is decorated with the Distinguished Service Star (DSS) and the Golden Jubilee Medal. He is happily married to Vivian Ifeyinwa Ezeoba and the family is blessed with children. His hobbies include reading, golf and football.

Rear Admiral Dele Joseph Ezeoba was born on 25 July 1958 in Jos, Plateau State although he hails from Ibusa in Oshimili- North Local Government Area of Delta State.   A graduate of the Nigerian Defence Academy Kaduna Regular Course 22 and the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, he trained at various times with the United States, Royal and Indian navies.   Rear Admiral Dele Joseph is a Navigation and Direction Specialist and holds a Master of Science Degree in Strategic Studies from the University of Ibadan.

Rear Admiral Ezeoba has had tours of duty onboard several Nigerian Naval Ships in various capacities and successfully commanded different classes of Nigerian Naval Ships including the nation’s flagship, Nigerian Naval Ship ARADU.   He was a Directing Staff at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji and the National Defence College, Abuja. He would later return to the Defence College as Director Curriculum and Programmes Development.

Rear Admiral DJ Ezeoba also served as the Director of Operations and later as the Chief of Training and Operations at the Naval Headquarters.   It was from this appointment that he was appointed as the Deputy Commandant of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji. Thereafter, he was appointed as the Chief of Administration at the Defence Headquarters, the appointment he held till his elevation to the present appointment of the Chief of the Naval Staff on 4 October 2012.

Rear Admiral Ezeoba is fluent in various languages including, Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo. He is a member Royal Institute of Navigation and the US Naval Institute. He is decorated with the Distinguished Service Star (DSS) and the Golden Jubilee Medal. He is happily married to Vivian Ifeyinwa Ezeoba and the family is blessed with children. His hobbies include reading, golf and football.