Armed Forces Ruling Council (Nigeria) Explained

Government Name:Armed Forces Ruling Council
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State:Nigeria
Leader Title:Chairman (Ibrahim Babangida)
Address:Lagos

Nigeria's Armed Forces Ruling Council was established by Ibrahim Babangida following the 1985 Nigerian coup d'état that overthrew Muhammadu Buhari. It replaced Buhari's Supreme Military Council, which had been in place since the 1983 Nigerian coup d'état.

Initial membership

NamePosition
Major-General Ibrahim BabangidaPresident, Chairman of the Armed Forces Ruling Council, Chairman of the Federal Executive Council, Commander in Chief – Nigerian Armed Forces
Commodore Ebitu UkiweChief of General Staff
Major-General Domkat BaliDefence Minister and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Maj-Gen Sani AbachaChief of Army Staff
Air Vice Marshal Ibrahim Mahmud AlfaChief of Air Staff
Rear-Admiral Augustus AikhomuChief of Naval Staff
Major-General Mamman Jiya VatsaMinister of the Federal Capital Territory
Etim InyangInspector-General of Police
Brigadier Peter AdomokhaiGOC, 1 Mechanised Infantry Division – Kaduna
Brigadier Yohanna Yerima KureGOC, 2 Mechanised Division – Ibadan
Brigadier Joshua Nimyel DogonyaroGOC, 3 Armoured Infantry Division – Jos
Brigadier Donaldson Oladipo DiyaGOC, 82 Division – Enugu
Brigadier Gado NaskoCommander - Nigerian Army Corps of Artillery
Brigadier Duro AjayiCommander, Training and Doctrine Command
Brigadier Paul OmuCommandant, Command and Staff College
Brigadier Joseph Olayeni OniDirector - Joint Services
Brigadier Abdullahi MammanDirector of Army Training and Operations
Commodore AlokoFlag Officer Commanding, Eastern Naval Command
Commodore Murtala NyakoFlag Officer Commanding, Western Naval Command
Commodore Mauftau Adegoke Babatunde ElegbedeFlag Officer Commanding, Sea Training Command
Air Vice Marshal Muhammadu YahayaAir officer Commanding – Air Training Command
Air Commodore Bayo LawalAir Officer Commanding, Tactical Air Command
Air Commodore Nura ImamAir Officer Commanding, Logistics Command
Air Commodore Larry KoinyanAir Force
Lt-Col John ShagayaCommander, 9 Mechanised Brigade
Lt-Col Halilu AkiluDirector-General, Directorate of Military Intelligence
Lt-Col Raji Alagbe RasakiCommander, Army Headquarters Garrison and Signal Group
Lt-Col Tanko AyubaCommander – Corps of Signals

Of these initial members, only five (Abacha, Dogonyaro, Aikhomu, Nyako and Elegbede) were still members when Babangida stepped down in 1993.[1]

Notes and References

  1. Max Siollun, Babangida, His Life and Times, Part 4