President Bola Ahmed Tinubu appoints Major General Christopher Gwabin Musa as a replacement for the retired Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor.
Gwabin Musa hails from Zangon Kataf, a community in the Southern Kaduna area of Kaduna State which routinely suffers bandit attacks.
Here is the profile of the new Chief of Defence Staff
Bio Data
1. Name: Christopher Gwabin Musa.
2. Date/Place of Birth: 25 Dec 1967 – Sokoto.
3. State of Origin/LGA: Kaduna State/Zangon Kataf.
4. Corps: Infantry.
5. Member of the 38th Infantry Course Nigerian Defence Army.
6. Commissioned on 21 September 1991.
CIVIL EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
a. Marafa Danbaba Primary School Sokoto – 1974 – 1978.
b. Model Primary School Dorowa Road Sokoto – 1978 – 1980.
c. Vocational Training Centre Gaummi, Sokoto – 1980 – 1981.
d. Federal Government College Sokoto – 1981 – 1985.
e. College of Advanced Studies, Zaria – 1985 – 1986.
f. BSc Hons-(Chn) – Nigerian Defence Academy – 1986 – 1990.
g. Advanced Diploma in Security Management –University of Lagos
– 2007 – 2008.
h. MSc (Mil Science) International College of Defence Studies-National Defence
University Changing – Beijing China – 2012 – 2013.
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Military/Civil Courses
a. Nigerian Defence Academy as member of the 38th RC- 21 Sep 1991.
b. Mechanical Transportation Officers Course – 1992.
c. Young Officers Course (Infantry) – 1993.
Regimental Signal Officers Course – 1998.
e. Junior Course at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College Jaji
– 2000.
f. Senior Course at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College Jaji
– 2004 – 2005.
g. Advance Diploma in Defence and Strategies Course (China) – International
College of Defense Studies National Defense University (ICDS-NDU) – ChangPing
China – 2013.
h. MSc (Military Science) – ICDS-BDU (China) – 2013.
i. National Defence College at ICDS (China) – 2013.
j. Combined Joint Land Component Commander’s Course on Leadership at the
US Army War College. – 2017.
APPOINTMENTS HELD
a. Platoon Commander at 192 Bn – 1991.
b. Intelligence Officer at 192 Bn – 1993 – 1994.
c. Administrative Officer at 2 Div Camp (Garrison) – 1995 – 1999.
d. Pioneer Adjutant 195 Bn – 2000.
e. Operations Officer – NIBATT 8 UNAMSIL – 2001 – 2002.
f. 195 Bn 2ic – 2002 – 2003.
g. 149 Bn 2ic – 2005 – 2006.
h. General Staff Officer 1 Training/Operations at HQ 81 Division 2006 – 2007.
i. Commanding Officer 73 Bn – 2007 – 2009.
j. Assistant Director Operational Requirement at Department of Army Policy and
Plans – 2009 – 2011.
k. Infantry Representative/Member Training Team at HQ Nigerian Army Armour
Corps – 2011 – 2012.
l. Deputy Chief of Staff Training/Operations at HQ Infantry Centre and Corp
– 2013 – 2014.
m. Chief of Staff at HQ 2 Division – 2014 – 2015.
n. Commandant Depot Nigerian Army – 2015 – 2017.
o. Principal Staff Officer (Combat Arms) at Army HQ Department of Projects and
Programmes – 2017.
p. Pioneer Executive Director Nigerian Army Farms and Ranches Ltd
– 2017
q. Commander 82 Division Task Force Brigade OP LAST HOLD in the North East
– 2018.
r. Commander Sector 3 OP LAFIYA DOLE – 2019.
s. Comd Sect 3 Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Tchad Region
– 2019.
t. Chief of General Duties TRADOC – 2019 – 2020.
u. Director Campaign Planning AHQ DATOPs – 2020.
v. Director Training AHQ-DATOPs – 2020.
w. Senior Research Fellow, Nigerian Army Research Centre
– 2021.
x. Theatre Comd JTF (NE) Op HADIN KAI – 2021 till date.
OPERATIONS ATTENDED
a. OP MESA.
b. OP SECOND HEAVEN.
c. OP FOCUS RELIEF, (Joint Training/Ops with the US Troops)
– 2000.
d. United Nation Mission in Sierra Leone – 2001 – 200.
e. OP HAKURI – 2002 – 2003.
f. OP SAFE CONDUCT – 2007.
g. OP RESTORE HOPE – 2007 – 2008.
h. OP SAFE CONDUCT – 2015.
i. OP AYAM APATUMEH – 2018.
j. OP LAST HOLD – 2018.
k. OP LAFIYA DOLE – 2019.
l. Multi-National Joint Task Force Lake Tchad – 2019.
m. OP KANTANA JIMLAM – 2020.
n. JTF (NE) Op HADIN KAI – 2021 till date.
HONOURS/AWARDS
Honours/Awards
a. BSc Hons (Chn) NDA – 1990.
b. UNAMSIL Medal – 2002.
c. Passed Staff Course (psc) – 2004 – 2005.
d. Forces Service Star – 2003.
e. Meritorious Service Star – 2009.
f. Distinguished Service Star – 2015.
g. Member Nigerian Institute of Management – 2008.
h. Advance Diploma in Security Management at Unilag – 2008.
i. Member Nigerian Institute of Industrial Security – 2008.
j General Operation Medal – 2009.
k. Command Medal (CO 73 Bn) – 2009.
l. Chief of Army Staff Commendation Award – 2009.
m. Silver Jubilee Medal – 2010.
n. Meritorious Service – 2012.
o. Fellow-NDU (ICDS-NDU)-ChangPing China – 2013.
p. Masters in Military Science at the ICDS-NDU China – 2013.
q. Diploma in Defense and Strategy ICDS-NDU Chin – 2013.
r. Centenary Medal – 2014.
s. Distinguished Service Star – 2016.
t. Training Support Medal – 2017.
u. OP LAST HOLD Medal – 2018.
v. OP LAFIYA DOLE Medal – 2019.
w. MNJTF Medal – 2021.
x. Grand Service Star (GSS) – 21 Sep 21.
y. Field Commander Medal of Honour (FCMH) – Jun 21 – till date.
z. Operation HADIN KAI Medal (OPHK) – Jun 21 – till date.
Marital Status: Married to Mrs Lilian Oghogho Musa and blessed with four children.
Hobbies: Service to humanity.
