Buratai asks officers to support Attahiru, new Army chief

Retired Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, handed over on Thursday handed over to his successor, Major General Ibrahim Attahiru.

During the ceremony at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja, Buratai urged military officers to cooperate with Attahiru.

A graduate of the Nigerian Defence Academy, Armed Forces Command and Staff College and Nigerian Army School of Infantry, Attahiru commenced cadets training in January 1984 and was commissioned in the rank of Second Lieutenant in December 1986 as an Infantry Officer.

He has held several appointments on the staff, instructional and in command in the course of his military career.

He was on a tour of duty with the United Nations in Sierra Leone as a Military Observer, where he facilitated the United Kingdom military engagement, Operation BARASS in September 2000.

He was an Operations Officer and later Company Commander in NIBATT 19 ECOMOG Operations in Liberia.

Also, he had the unique privilege of having commanded with distinction all through the chain of command in the Nigerian Army. Prominent among these appointments are Commanding Officer 146 Battalion Nigerian Army (Operation HARMONY IV) in the Bakassi Peninsula, Commander 13 Brigade Nigerian Army (Operation PULO SHIELD), General Officer Commanding 82 Division Nigerian Army.

He was one time Theatre Commander Operation Lafia Dole (the Counter Terrorism and Counter Insurgency Outfit in North Eastern Nigeria).

It is on record that he brought relative stability to the region with the surrender of several Boko Haram combatants.

He was unit adjutant, 7 Battalion Nigerian Army, Sarti;  Chief of Staff, 1 Brigade Nigerian Army, Sokoto; General Staff Officer Grade 1 Training/Operations and as well as Staff Duties/Plans at the Headquarters 1, 2 and 81 Divisions of the Nigerian Army.

He was Deputy Director Military Secretary 2 at the AHQ MS (A) and one-time Director Army Public Relations and spokesperson for the Nigerian Army. He was later Director Staff Duties and Deputy Chief of Policy and Plans at the Army Headquarters.