7th Division (Nigeria)

7 Division
Insignia
Active2013–present
Country Nigeria
BranchArmy
TypeInfantry Division
RoleCombat support
SizeDivision
Part of Nigerian Army
Garrison/HQMaiduguri, Nigeria
Websitearmy.mil.ng
Commanders
General Officer CommandingMajor General Abubakar Haruna
Notable
commanders
  • Lieutenant General Lamidi Adeosun
  • Major General Ibrahim Yusuf
  • Major General Abdul Khalifa Ibrahim
  • Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar

The 7th Division is an infantry unit of the Nigerian Army.[1][2]

History

The 7th Division (also known as JTF-RO) was established in August 2013 for the war against Boko Haram. The creation of the new division brought to six the number of divisions. The 7th division is headquartered in Maiduguri.[3] The division includes a combat motorcycle unit as part of its 25th Task Force Brigade.[4] The purpose of this unit is stated as securing roads in Yobe and serving as a force multiplier in combat operations.[4]

In 2014, the 7th Division mutinied after having suffered heavy losses during the Chibok ambush.[5][6]

Commanders

  • Major General Obida T. Ethan (22 August 2013 – 1 January 2014)
  • Major General Unsaid Bindawa (1 January 2014 – 24 February 2014)
  • Major General Ahmadu Mohammed (24 February 2014 – 16 May 2014)
  • Brigadier General M. Y. Ibrahim (16 May 2014 – 2015)
  • Major General Lamidi Adeosun (2015 – 4 January 2016)
  • Brigadier General Victor Ezugwu (4 January 2016 – 17 May 2017)
  • Major General Ibrahim Yusuf (17 May 2017 – 25 May 2018)
  • Major General Abdulmalik Biu (25 May 2018 – 25 August 2019)
  • Major General Abdul Khalifa Ibrahim (25 August 2019 – 15 March 2021)
  • Major General Abdulwahab Adelokun Eyitayo (15 March 2021 – 21 January 2022)
  • Major General Waidi Shaibu (21 January 2022 – 21 April 2023)
  • Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar (21 April 2023 – 16 July 2023)
  • Major General Peter Malla (16 July 2023 – 2 February 2024)
  • Brigadier General Abubakar G.L. Haruna (acting; 2 February 2024 – present)[7][8]

Headquarters

The headquarters of the division is located at Maimalari Barracks in Maiduguri. The barracks serves as one of the major military formations in North-Eastern Nigeria.[9][10][11]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Bankole, Idowu (2025-08-26). "NCCSLW partners with troops of 7- Div in Maiduguri to fight proliferation of small arms, other light weapons". Vanguard News. Retrieved 2026-05-09.
  2. ↑ "Nigerian Soldiers Lament: While We're In Bush Fighting Terrorists, Our Families In Borno Barracks Suffer Lack Of Electricity, Water Supply | Sahara Reporters". saharareporters.com. Retrieved 2026-05-09.
  3. ↑ John Pike. "Nigeria - 7th Infantry Division". Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  4. 1 2 "Nigerian Army Inducts Combat Motorbikes Battalion To Fight Boko Haram". Defense World. 29 February 2016. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  5. ↑ Threat Tactics Report: Boko Haram (PDF). Fort Eustis: United States Army Training and Doctrine Command. 2015. p. 10.
  6. ↑ Okogba, Emmanuel (2024-05-25). "GOC 7 Div commissions renovated soldiers' quarters to enhance troops' welfare". Vanguard News. Retrieved 2026-05-09.
  7. ↑ "Nigerian Army debunks report of poor conditions at Maimalari Military Cantonment — National Accord Newspaper %". National Accord. 2024-06-14. Retrieved 2026-05-09.
  8. ↑ Bankole, Idowu (2022-08-12). "NAOWA President, Yahaya commissions 2-classroom blocks, secretariat in 7 Div, Maiduguri". Vanguard News. Retrieved 2026-05-09.
  9. ↑ "COAS storms Maiduguri, charges troops to annihilate insurgents in North east". Blueprint. Abuja, Nigeria. 2025-11-07. Retrieved 2026-05-09.
  10. ↑ "Buratai commissions 7 Div NA Delta Camp Quick Response Force — National Accord Newspaper %". National Accord. 2020-07-02. Retrieved 2026-05-09.
  11. ↑ "Biu is new GOC 7 Div". Daily Trust. Retrieved 2026-05-09.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.