...AS REAR ADMIRAL ABUBAKAR MUSTAPHA NOW FOC WEST
A few days after being confirmed as the Chief of the Naval Staff and decorated with the new rank badge, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas has approved the appointment of 65 Rear Admirals.
A move believed to signal the renewed effort of the NN to fulfil her constitutional mandate following his takeover as the 23rd indigenous CNS.
According to the released list signed by the Director of Information (DINFO), Commodore Aiwuyor Adams-Aliu in Abuja today, Monday, 3rd November, 2025, disclosed that the CNS approved the posting on Thursday, 30th October, 2025.
The post cuts across Naval Headquarters, Commands, and Tri-Service Institutions.
Those affected included Rear Admiral (R Adm) Suleiman Abdullahi, formerly at the Defence Headquarters (DHQ), but now appointed to NHQ as the Chief of Logistics. R Adm Kasim Bushi formerly at the Headquarters Naval Training Command (HQ NAVTRAC) moves to the International Maritime Institute of Nigeria (IMION) as Executive Director (ED), R Adm Suleiman Dahun, previously at NHQ was appointed to DHQ as Director Defence Cooperation, while R Adm Anenechukwu Ezenma, formerly at the Defence Research and Development Bureau (DRDB) has been appointed to DHQ as Director Lessons Learnt. R Adm Samuel Ngatuwa, who was at NHQ moves to DHQ as Director Project Management, while R Adm Ibrahim Shehu is to remain Admiral Superintendent, Naval Dockyard Limited.
Also affected was R Adm Abdullahi Ahmed previously at the NHQ but now appointed Commandant, National Defence College. Others are R Adm Musa Katagum formerly at DHQ now appointed to NHQ as Chief of Operations, R Adm Fredrick Damtong appointed Chief of Naval Engineering at NHQ, R Adm Abdul-Rasheed Haruna formerly at DHQ is appointed Chief of Training NHQ, R Adm Hamza Ibrahim, appointed Group Managing Director (GMD), Navy Holdings Limited (NHL), R Adm Sunday Oyegade will proceed to Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) as Director Logistics while R Adm Gideon Kachim will move to DHQ as Chief of Defence Administration, R Adm Saburi Lawal was reappointed to NHL as ED Business Development and Evaluation and R Adm Jonathan Mamman formerly at DHQ was appointed to NHQ as Chief of Administration.
Rear Admiral Kehinde Odubanjo was moved from NHQ to DRDB as the Director General, R Adm John Okeke appointed to DHQ as Chief of Defence Civil Military Cooperation, while R Adm Abolade Ogunleye appointed from NHQ to DHQ as Chief of Defence Training. Additionally, R Adm Olatunde Olodude formerly at the Naval War College Nigeria (NWCN) is now appointed to NHQ as Chief of Policy and Plans, R Adm Chijioke Onyemaobi will take over as Chief of Naval Transformation and R Adm Peter Zakaria becomes ED Administration and Human Resource NHL.
In addition, also appointed are R Adm Olufemi Adeleke from NHQ to Defence Space Agency (DSA) as Director Cyber Security, R Adm Semiu Adepegba from Headquarters Central Naval Command (HQ CNC) to DHQ as Director of Defence Administration, R Adm Abiodun Alade is now appointed Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Logistics Command while R Adm Pakiribo Anabraba will take over as Chief of Naval Safety and Standard.
Rear Admral Emmanuel Anakwe will proceed to National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) as a Moderator, R Adm Sunday Atakpa is now the Director of Hydrography, while R Adm Abdul-Hamid Baba-Inna takes over as Navy Secretary, and R Adm Bai Haruna Sabo remains as the MD Naval Building and Construction Company Limited. R Adm Etop Ebe will move from Naval Shipyard Limited to DRDB as Director Marine Research, R Adm Patrick Effah is appointed Chief of Communications and Information Technology, R Adm Bob-Manuel Effiong, appointed to Headquarters Naval Doctrine Command (HQ NAVDOC) as FOC, while R Adm Suleiman Ibrahim was appointed as FOC HQ CNC. R Adm Yusuf Idris was appointed from NHQ to DSA as Director of Logistics, Rear Admiral Abubakar Mustapha appointed FOC, Western Naval Command (WNC), R Adm Danjuma Ndanusa appointed to DHQ as Director of Logistics, R Adm Chidozie Okehie appointed to Eastern Naval Command (ENC) as the FOC and R Adm Ifeanyi Okpala appointed to DHQ as Director Transformation.
Others are Rear Admiral Sunday Yahaya who was appointed to DHQ as Director Defence Equipment Standardization and Harmonization, R Adm Haruna Zego appointed MD, Nigerian Navy Hotels and Suites Ltd, R Adm Ebiobowei Zipele appointed FOC HQ NAVTRAC, R Adm Muhsin Abba appointed from NHL to Admiralty Maritime Services Ltd as the MD, R Adm Jonathan Ajodo appointed to Headquarters Logistics Command as the Chief Staff Officer (CSO) and R Adm Adedotun Ayo-Vaughan appointed from NIPSS to Office of the National Security Adviser as Director PC4. R Adm Victor Choji was moved from Nigerian Navy Basic Training School to HQ NAVTRAC as the CSO, R Adm Mohammed Dahiru will now be the Director, Project Implementation and Evaluation at NHQ, and R Adm Nnamdi Ekwom was appointed to HQ WNC as CSO. R Adm Umaru Faruk will take over as MD Naval Engineering Services Limited and R Adm Vincent Gbaranwi was appointed to HQ CNC as the CSO, while R Adm Steven Ibrahim proceeds to HQ ENC as the CSO.
Also contained in the list is Rear Admiral Madumom Ide, who moved from DHQ to NHQ as Director Plans, R Adm Paul Efe-Oghene will move to DRDB as Director Development and Production, Rear Adm Desmond Igbo was appointed to HQ NAVDOC as CSO, R Adm Michael Igwe is now the Director Weapon Engineering. R Adm Mohammed Muye takes over as Commandant, NWCN, R Adm Kolawole Oguntuga was appointed from Headquarters Eastern Fleet to NHQ as Director Manning, R Adm Adedokun Siyanbade appointed from HQ NAVTRAC to NHQ as Director of Administration, R Adm Raheem Taofeek appointed to NHQ as Director Veteran Affairs.
Furthermore, Rear Admiral Kabiru Tanimu was appointed to DHQ as Director Special Operation Forces and R Adm Ikenna Ubani moves from DSA to Naval Shipyard Limited as Admiral Superintendent Naval Shipyard Limited, R Adm Aniefiok Uko was appointed from Armed Forces Command and Staff College to NHQ as Director of Operations and R Adm Musiu Yussuff appointed to NHQ as Director Marine Engineering.
The CNS, Vice Admiral Abbass has congratulated all the affected senior officiers and charged them to rededicate themselves to duty and justify the confidence reposed in them.
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