Major General Adebayo Babalola has assumed duty as the new General Officer Commanding (GOC), 81 Division of the Nigerian Army, Lagos, following a formal handover ceremony held at the Division’s Headquarters.
He took over from Major General Farouk Mijinyawa, who has completed his tenure as GOC.
In his acceptance remarks, Major General Babalola thanked God for the opportunity to serve and pledged to sustain high professional standards while building on the achievements of his predecessor.
He stressed that strict adherence to the command philosophy of the Chief of Army Staff by officers and soldiers would guarantee operational success, noting that the Nigerian Army’s ultimate objective remains mission accomplishment.
The new GOC described the Armed Forces as the backbone of the nation, emphasizing that there is no excuse for failure in the discharge of the military’s constitutional responsibility to Nigerians.
According to him, commitment, professionalism and sacrifice are essential to ensuring national security, peace and stability, which he said are critical to democracy and economic development.
Major General Babalola paid tribute to his predecessor, describing Major General Mijinyawa as a disciplined and highly professional officer.
He recalled their professional relationship dating back to 1992 as cadets at the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna, and noted that he also served under him at the Army Headquarters, where he benefitted from his leadership and mentorship.
In his farewell address, Major General Mijinyawa said the Division recorded notable operational, training and administrative successes during his 18-month tenure, attributing them to discipline, professionalism and effective inter-agency collaboration.
He has been redeployed to the Department of Policy and Plans, Army Headquarters, as Deputy Chief of Policy and Plans (Policy), while the ceremony concluded with the traditional sounding of the bugle to mark the formal handover of command.
Reporting by Mary Fatile