In a colourful ceremony in Abuja, the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Lucky Irabor (rtd) has officially pulled out of the Nigerian Army and Defence in a parade at Mogadishu Cantonment, Asokoro, Abuja, on Friday after spending 37 years of unblemish service to Nigeria and having served as the CDS in the past 29 months.

This is part of the military tradition in honouring a retiring Generals which was well attended by some of the past Chiefs of Defence, Army, Navy, Air Staff, and other services agencies and Irabor's 34 Regular Course mates.

The event which involved a march past by the officers of the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Air force, members of DEPOWA, NAOWA, NOWA, and NAFOWA.

Dignitaries at the pulling out ceremony are, the Executive Governor of Delta State Hon. Chief Sherif Oborevwori (JP), members of the Federal Executive Council, distinguished Members of the 10th National Assembly, Former SGF Mr Boss Mustapha, the former Governor of Delta State Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, Former Chairman Senate Committee on Defence, distinguished Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wammako, Former Chairman House of Representatives, Committee on Defence, Hon. Babajimi Benson, Perm Secinistry of Defence, Dr Ibrahim Abubakar Kana mni, Chief of Defence Staff, Service Chiefs and IGP, Former Chiefs of Defence Staff and Service Chiefs, Former Service Chiefs, Heads of Paramilitary and Security Agencies here present, Heads of Military Establishments, and Department and Agencies, Departmental Chiefs from Defence and Services Headquarters.

Others are Distinguished Senior Military and Para-military officers, both serving and retired, President of DEPOWA, NAOWA, NOWA, NAFOWA, POWA and other members of the association here present, spouses of AFN soldiers, ratings, airmen and air women, Lordship, Spiritual and Temporal, Captains of Industry, and Royal Highnesses.

General Lucky Irabor was born on October 5, 1965. He is from Ika South of Delta State and he is a member of regular course 34 of the Nigerian Defence Academy.

He was the Chief of Training and Operations, Defence headquarters, took over from the erstwhile Commander, Major General AA Tarfa.

On the 26th January 2021 he was appointed the new Chief of Defence Staff by President Buhari Muhammadu Buhari.

General Lucky E.O. IRABOR is the Chief of Defence, Training and Operations (CDTOP) at the Defence Headquarters, Armed Forces of Nigeria. He is an Alumnus of the Ghana Armed Forces Staff College Ghana, the National Defence College Bangladesh and Harvard Kennedy School of Government Executive Programme, USA.

He is a trained Engineer from Obafemi Awolowo University and holds Masters Degrees from the University of Ghana, Accra, and Bangladesh University of Professionals, Dhaka.

As the CDTOPs, he oversees training and operations in the Armed Forces of Nigeria under the direction of the Chief of Defence Staff.

Specifically, he undertakes periodic reviews of a broad range of policies and activities relating to training and operations in the Armed forces. In addition to his schedules, he is the Chairman of the AFN Committee on COVID-19. The Committee is working to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease in the establishments of the Armed forces in line with Nigeria Centre for Disease Control protocols. The Committee is also giving support to the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 including the deployment of Medical Personnel across the country to boost the available manpower in the management of the cronavirus pandemic in Nigeria.

The General was formerly the Theatre Commander of OPERATION LAFIYA DOLE, North-East Nigeria as well as Force Commander Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad Basin Area.

The operations focused on Counter-Terrorism/Counterinsurgency. He is a multi-award-winning military including ECOMOG and United Nations Awards and Medals.
Source: https://www.spyetv.com.ng/2023/06/ex-nigerian-defence-chief-general-lucky.html?m=1