Maj.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja on Monday assumed duty as the 39th General Officer Commanding (GOC) 1 Division, Nigerian Army, Kaduna following his recent redeployment from 82 Division in Enugu.
Lagbaja, a member of the 39 regular course of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), succeeds Maj.-Gen. Kabir Mukhtar who had been redeployed to the Nigerian Army Resource Centre Abuja.
Shortly after taking over, the new GOC charged officers and men of the Division to brace up for the challenges ahead.
He solicited the support and understanding of critical stakeholders in rallying around formations and units of the Division by providing necessary information that would aid troops in the conduct of their operations.
Lagbaja commended the press for supporting the activities of the Division and craved for continuous support towards ensuring more stability within its area of responsibility.
He also commended his predecessor for services he rendered to the Division and to Kaduna State, and wished him success in his new assignment.
Earlier, Maj.-Gen Mukhtar said that under his watch, the Division did its best to tackle security challenges within its area of responsibility.
He charged personnel to be more committed; re-dedicate their time and efforts to the execution of all assigned tasks and extend maximum co-operation to the new GOC.
Recall that the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Faruk Yahaya, had on July 28, approved the postings and appointments of senior officers as part of efforts to reposition the army for operational efficiency and proficiency.
He charged newly-appointed senior officers to redouble their efforts in tackling the insecurity bedeviling the nation as they assume their new appointments.