The president last month appointed Major General Lucky Irabor (Chief of Defence Staff), Major General Ibrahim Attahiru (Chief of Army Staff), Rear Admiral Awwal Gambo (Chief of Naval Staff) and Air Vice Marshal Isiaka Amao (Chief of Air Staff).

The nominations were approved by lawmakers in the lower chamber of the National Assembly during plenary on Tuesday, February 23, 2021.

They were confirmed after the Chairman, House Committee on Defence, Babajimi Benson, presented a report which approved of their appointment based on a screening exxercise.

The approval had been expected to be a mere formality as the service chiefs have since taken over their respective leadership roles in the military battling terrorists and bandits mostly in the northern region.

The old service chiefs were for long periods criticised for failing to properly check the activities of insurgents that have terrorised the north east region since 2009, killing tens of thousands and displacing millions from their communities.