NAF redeploys 22 AVMs, 44 other senior officers in shake-up

THE Nigeria Air Force (NAF) has carried out a massive redeployment of 66 senior officers to different command positions and formations in the country.

A statement issued yesterday evening by the Director of Public Relations and Information (DoPRI) Group Captain Ayodele Famuyiwa said the “recent deployment, as a routine exercise, is aimed at ensuring that the NAF is effectively manned for operational efficiency and effectiveness in line with the vision of the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar.”

The list show that 22 seven Group Captains and 3 Wing Commanders were affected in the new posting, which includes Branch Chiefs, Air Officers Commanding (AOC) and a Commander.
T
he newly appointed Branch Chiefs are AVM Adebola Jekennu, who before now was the Senior Air Staff Officer (SASO) at the Tactical Air Command Makurdi but is now Chief of Administration (COA) at the NAF Headquarters, and Air Commodore Clement Ogbeche who is now the Chief of Accounts and Budget, at NAF headquarters.

The new AOCs are AVMs Emmanuel Akogu and Emmanuel Agwungwu who now head the Mobility Command, Yenagoa and Tactical Air Command Makurdi respectively.

Also, AVM Christopher Gudi, former Director of Air Traffic Services now replaces AVM Mike Iloenyosi as the Commandant, Armed Forces Resettlement Centre, Oshodi; AVM Lawal Alao moves from the Defence Headquarters, where he was the Chief of Defence Communication, to head the Nigerian Air Force Holding Company (NAFHC) as the Group Managing Director.

Others also affected by the new deployment include AVM Isiaka Amao formerly the Deputy Theatre Commander Operation Lafiya Dole and now the Director of Policy at HQ NAF, the former Commander Nigerian Air Defence Corps (NADC), AVM Bernard Chiobi now the Chairman Air Expo & International Liaison Secretariat; AVM Bashir Saidu, former Director of Policy at HQ NAF now moved to DHQ as the Chief of Policy and Plans; AVM Muktar Magaji now redeployed as Chief of Defence Communication at DHQ.

Furthermore, AVM Emmanuel Anebi has been moved from Training Command to DHQ as Director of Production while AVM Ibrahim Umaru moves to DHQ as the Director of Space Operations. Likewise, AVM Charles Otegbade, formerly the Director of Search and Rescue at the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) moves to HQ NAF as the Director of Air Traffic Services.

The rest are AVM Olusoji Awomodu now Director Research and Development at DHQ; AVM Okechukwu Ntukogu (Director of Personnel Services at DHQ), AVM Sani Ahmed (Director of Plans, HQ NAF); AVM Stephen Onuh (Director of Evaluation, HQ NAF); Kingsley Lar (Coordinator Project Implementation and Monitoring Team, HQ NAF); AVM Christian Dii (Director of NAF Transformation); AVM Humphrey Okpala (Director of Museum & Achieve); AVM John Baba (Director of Training, HQ NAF); AVM Isyaka Bukar (Director of Air Engineering, HQ NAF) and Mohammed Muhammad (Director of Legal Services, HQ NAF).