Despite worsening insurgency and insecurity across Nigeria, more than 500 senior military officers — including Major Generals, Brigadier Generals, Rear Admirals, and Air Vice Marshals — have been forced into early retirement since 2015 under the administrations of Muhammadu Buhari and Bola Tinubu.
The mass exits, affecting the Army, Navy, and Air Force, follow a long-standing military tradition that mandates the retirement of senior officers who are either senior to or of the same course as newly appointed service chiefs.
Military authorities say the policy preserves discipline, hierarchy, and operational efficiency. However, insiders argue it has created instability and wasted valuable experience amid Nigeria’s mounting security challenges.
Eight Years, 500+ Senior Officers Gone
Data compiled from media reports show that over 500 top officers have left the Armed Forces in the past eight years — though internal estimates suggest the real number could exceed 900.
The first major wave occurred in 2015, when President Buhari appointed new service chiefs — Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai (Army), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar (Air Force), and Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Navy). Over 100 senior Army officers, 20 naval officers, and several Air Force commanders were retired.
Another purge followed in 2021, after Buhari reshuffled his military leadership again. About 123 Army generals, 50 Air Force officers, and 50 naval officers exited the services.
When Gen. Farouk Yahaya was appointed following the death of Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru in 2021, more than 20 generals from Courses 35 and 36 voluntarily retired, as Yahaya was junior to many of them.
Under President Tinubu, the pattern has persisted. Two weeks after assuming office, Tinubu appointed Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, and Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla as service chiefs, prompting the retirement of 51 army generals, 49 senior Air Force officers, and 17 naval officers.
Following the most recent reshuffle on October 25, 2025, where Gen. Olufemi Oluyede replaced Gen. Christopher Musa as Chief of Defence Staff, another 60 top officers are expected to leave service in line with tradition.
Experts: “Outdated Tradition Weakening the Military”
Retired General Ishola Williams condemned the forced retirements, describing the practice as “a carryover from the military regime era.”
“It’s wrong and wasteful. Each time the President changes service chiefs, hundreds of experienced officers are forced out. That shouldn’t happen in a professional military,” he said.
He suggested reforms that would allow a clear succession structure, making the Chief of Defence Staff the main liaison with the President while maintaining order within the ranks.
Retired General Aliyu Momoh commended Tinubu’s reshuffle but urged him to go deeper by dismantling entrenched “cabals” controlling the military.
“If he doesn’t remove the cartels and political influences, Nigeria will keep recycling insecurity despite all these changes,” Momoh warned.
Retired Brigadier General Adewinbi defended the retirements as part of a long-established military tradition, but acknowledged the need to leverage retired officers’ expertise.
“Many of us have been victims of this practice. The government should enlist retired generals into reserve or advisory roles,” he said.
“Too Many Generals, Too Few Soldiers”
Former Air Force spokesman Group Captain Sadique Shehu (retd.) described the trend as “unsustainable,” revealing that Nigeria had nearly 960 generals as of 2022 — for a force of just 235,000 troops.
“That’s nearly the same number of generals as the U.S., which has over 1.3 million active personnel. Some generals don’t even have real assignments,” he said.
Shehu blamed poor manpower planning and political interference, calling for legislative reforms to limit presidential discretion in appointing service chiefs and to curb rank inflation.
“If the National Assembly defines tenure and appointment criteria, we can stop this wasteful cycle,” he added.
“A Necessary Rotation” — Others Defend the Practice
Not all experts view the mass retirements negatively. Retired Major General Lasisi Abidoye said the pyramid structure of the military ensures natural attrition, arguing that routine retirements help rejuvenate command.
“When a service chief stays too long, creativity dies, and juniors are stagnated,” he noted. “Rotation ensures career growth and efficiency.”
Similarly, Major General P.J.O. Bojie (retd.), a former Defence Intelligence Agency director, said the retirements are routine and necessary.
“It’s standard procedure. The system demands it, and it’s nothing unusual,” he said.
Analysis:
Nigeria’s cyclical retirement of hundreds of senior officers each time new service chiefs are appointed has reignited debate about waste, instability, and political interference in the Armed Forces. While tradition demands hierarchy be maintained, critics argue that the country can no longer afford to lose its most experienced generals amid ongoing insurgency and insecurity.
