Lawyers task new Service Chiefs on purpose-driven military

The Nigerian Senate’s confirmation of the new Service Chiefs, nominated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on October 29, 2025, has generated a flurry of reactions from legal luminaries.

As the new military leadership assumes command, three legal practitioners have offered their frank assessments, warning the new appointees of the high stakes involving national security, constitutional loyalty, and military discipline.

Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Victor Okpara, expressed a mixed but cautiously optimistic outlook, hoping for a more reinvigorated, re-energised military.

Mr Okpara asserted that, despite public perception, the security situation had seen improvements under the immediate past administration compared to the previous one.

“I must say with the greatest respect that under the last dispensation, we equally witnessed some professionalism from the military, the insurgency was being tackled headlong and I believe that under President Tinubu’s government, the security situation, though far from being adequate, though far from being delightful, is actually better than under the previous regime,” he contended.

The SAN, however, expressed disappointment that the military background of the past President did not translate into the expected level of security improvement.
Commenting on the timing of the shake-up, Mr Okpara suggested the change might be less about underperformance and more connected to the recent alleged coup scare.

“I believe that what has actually caused the change of service chiefs may not be unconnected with the alleged coup scare.

“The fact that they have now sacked the service chiefs does not really mean that it is because of a situation where they had underperformed, but probably because of the coup scare and they felt that, oh, how come this was not even discovered,” he noted.

The SAN cautioned against expecting immediate, transformative results merely from a change of guard, observing that many of the new appointees were already part of the existing military structure.
It’s not about changing, but there’s no difference between six and half a dozen really; it’s the same setup, it’s the same management, the same people.

“What we need is institutional change and of course a refocus of where we are and so that at the end of the day, we can have a purpose-driven military which you and I we’re proud of,” he argued.

While issuing a warning about what he described as the pervasive nature of insecurity, the SAN noted that even the seat of power, Aso Rock, is not safe.

Another senior lawyer, Mr Ige Asemudara, focused his reaction on the constitutional and ethical duties of the new service chiefs, issuing a caution against any thought of political interference.

“The Service Chiefs must be conscious at all times that they have a bounding duty to Nigerians to deliver upon their statutory mandate of defence of Nigeria against external invasion and internal insurrection,” Mr Asemudara asserted.