The Nigerian Army (NA) is the land force of the Nigerian Armed Forces which is governed by the Nigerian Army Council (NAC) with its highest-ranking military officer being the Chief of Army Staff. Upon independence from the British in 1960, when the Nigerian Military Force became known as the Royal Nigerian Army (RNA), then in 1964 when Nigeria became a republic, the RNA changed to the Nigerian Army.
The Nigerian Army currently has 9 divisions namely the Mechanized Division headquartered in Kaduna, the Mechanized Division headquartered in Ibadan, the Armoured Division headquartered in Jos, the Amphibious Division headquartered in Port Harcourt, the Infantry Division (OP-LD) headquartered in Maiduguri, the 81 Division (Amphibious) headquartered in Lagos, and Guards Brigade, part of Army headquarters Abuja.
There are two divisions in the West, and five in the North including the overall headquarters. There is only one in the Southeast – the 82 Composite Division (Airborne and Amphibious) Enugu.
82 Division Enugu is one of the youngest divisions in the country but one of the most talked-about due to its position in what used to be the capital of Biafra and amidst the agitations for Biafra and the security breaches that are trying to become the norm in the southeast.
Here is everything you need to know about the military base.
History and aim
The outbreak of civil hostilities in Nigeria in 1967 necessitated the creation of additional divisions of the nation’s army, during the heat of the battle, few unique army division was formed, and was given a name that was synonymous with its area of operation. The 82 division was established in 1975.
The 82 division was charged with the responsibility of securing its Area of Responsibility (AOR) which covers the South Eastern and South Southern flanks of Nigeria and also ensuring that the borders located in its AOR are secured.
The division is a composite division with affiliated combat support and combat service support units.
Formation and functions
The 82 Division of the Nigerian Army (NA) is a composite division meaning is Airborne and Amphibious, the division is made up of the 13th Brigade in Calabar, and 2nd Brigade located in Port Harcourt, which provides security for oil installation in the Niger Delta area.
Also the 34 Field Artillery Brigade at Obinze/Owerri, Engineer Brigade, 7 Amphibious Battalion, 93 Amphibious Battalion, 146 Amphibious Battalion, and 245 Recce Battalion.
Read this – The untold stories of the Onitsha sector of the civil war
The 82 Division is functionally organized into combat arms, which are infantry and armoured, the combat support arms, which are artillery, engineers, and signals, the combat support services comprise the Nigerian Army Medical Corps, supply and transport, ordinance, and finance.
Under the administration of Major General Buhari (Retd), 82 Division primary assignment seemingly revolved around the fight against IPOB and their security arm, the Eastern Security Network, ESN. The 82 Division was in the middle of all the Python Dance exercises carried out in the Southeast.
82 Division General Officer Commanding
The current General Officer commanding the 82 division is Major-General Taoreed Lagbaja. Major-General Taoreed assume the office of General Officer when he took over from Maj.-Gen. Lasisi Adegboye on March 2021.
Major Gen. Lasisi Adegboye was redeployed to Defence Headquarters Department of Training and Operations as the Chief Defence Training and Operations.
Every 82 Division GOC has a seat in the security council of the Southeast.
In the recent past…
Before the appointment of Major-General Taoreed, the 82 Division Enugu has been home to some of the big names in the Nigerian Army and some of them including, Major Gen. Abdul Hafeez Adewuyi (2004-2006), Major Gen. Mohammad Danhanne (2009 to 2010), Major Gen. Sakin-Yaki Bello (2010 to 2011), Major Gen. Oluwaseun Olayinka (2012-2013), Major Gen. Adamu Baba Abubakar (2016 and -2017) and Maj.-Gen. Lasisi Adegboye.
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By Gabriel Eresiobi, Umudike
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