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Former Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor (retd), has officially been pulled out of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
The pulling out ceremony, a traditional military ceremony to mark officers’ retirement from service was held at the Mogadishu Cantonment, Asokoro, Abuja, on Friday.
The ceremony is part of the tradition of the Armed Forces to honour retiring generals. The event involved a march past by the officers of the Nigerian Army among others.
Past Chiefs of Defence, Army, Navy, and Air Staff, among others, attended the event.
Irabor was appointed CDS in January 2021 and retired alongside others on June 19, following the appointment of new service chiefs by President Bola Tinubu.
In his address, General Irabor, said that providing security for a diverse country like Nigeria is not an easy task, but insists it is not an impossible mission to achieve.
According to Irabor, the debts the country owes to men and women who serve in the armed forces cannot be paid fully.
He expressed satisfaction with his service in the military, saying that he is leaving the armed forces today bigger and stronger than he met it.
The former defence chief also appealed to citizens not to engage in acts that can undermine the Nigerian military, saying that the military stands as a beacon of hope, unity and stability that must be protected.
He expressed optimism in the ability of his successor to beat the records set so far in the armed forces.
In attendance at the event are senior military officers, former Chiefs of Defense Staff, the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, and the governor of Delta State, Sheriff Oborevwori.
Irabor was appointed as the Chief of Defence Staff by former President, Muhammadu Buhari, in 2021, replacing General Abayomi Olonisakin.
However, his tenure as the defence chief came to an end on June 19, 2023 when President Tinubu replaced all the incumbent service chiefs and replaced them with new ones.
The President replaced Gen. Irabor with Maj. Gen. C.G Musa, who is now the the Acting Chief of Defence Staff pending confirmation by the National Assembly.
