The Nigerian Army redeployed, cancelled or amended postings of seven major generals, 45 brigadier generals and 597 other officers last week, in one of its most far-reaching shake-up exercises in recent years, PREMIUM TIMES reported yesterday evening.

The online paper said that no reasons were readily cited for the new postings and cancellations and amendments of previous postings, quoting military sources as saying over the weekend that the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, approved the exercise on July 18.

“Amongst the seven major generals affected, the Army cancelled the redeployment of Adeniyi Oyebade, two months after he was transferred from being General Officer Commanding of Nigerian Army 1 Division, Kaduna, to Army Headquarters in Abuja as chief of logistics.

But no new posting was assigned to Mr. Oyebade, who was indicted last year in the December 2015 massacre of Shiites in Zaria,” the report said.

It quoted military sources as disclosing that the shake-up was announced in a memo with reference number MS/G1/3OO/2O7 and signed by I.O. Rabiu, a Major General and Military Secretary.

About 100 Nigerian Army formations, units and departments within and outside the country were copied in the memo, the report said.