8 Division Gets New GOC, Outgoing Commander Hails Operational Gains, Reforms 

Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto

The outgoing General Officer Commanding (GOC) 8 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Ibikunle Ajose, has credited divine grace, troop professionalism and improved welfare as the pillars of the division’s operational successes over the last 18 months.

Speaking at his handing over ceremony on Friday, the GOC highlighted major breakthroughs in counter-banditry operations under Sector 2, Operation Fasan Yamma and Operation Haderin Daji.

He noted that in 2025 alone, troops neutralised several bandit leaders, destroyed criminal enclaves, recovered over 200 weapons, thousands of rounds of ammunition, recovered livestock and rescued more than 1,000 kidnap victims.

He added that military presence enabled displaced locals to return to abandoned communities and farms in the past cultivation season. Beyond field operations, the GOC outlined notable administrative strides including barracks renovations, new accommodation projects, hospital upgrades and improved water supply at Giginya Cantonment for the first time in two decades.

The division also introduced free maternal healthcare for military families, 24-hour power supply in medical facilities, ambulance services, free surgeries for wounded personnel, and expanded employment opportunities for soldiers’ dependents.

“Our success would not have been possible without the grace of Almighty God and the support of the Chief of Defence Staff and Chief of Army Staff,” he said, while thanking troops for what he described as “exceptional followership.”

He equally praised civilian medical professionals from Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital for strengthening healthcare delivery in the barracks and acknowledged the role of religious institutions in sustaining morale.

The GOC expressed gratitude to his family and pledged continued support despite his redeployment to Abuja. “Soldier go, soldier come, the barrack remains,” he said, urging officers and soldiers to extend even greater cooperation to the incoming commander.

In his remarks, the new GOC, Major General Bemgha Paul Koughna, commended his predecessor for setting a high operational and administrative benchmark. “From the Army Headquarters’ operations assessment, 8 Division consistently stood out as a shining example,” he said. “He has left very big shoes for me, and I will be counting on your cooperation to sustain the legacy.”

General Koughna pledged to build on reforms in combat operations, welfare, medical services, training and discipline, while assuring troops of continuity in leadership style.