We have updated our data on the units and command chain of the Nigerian Army in Lagos in response to the reports of killings by the Nigerian Army of #EndSARS protesters in Lekki and Alausa, Lagos.
All the information below is taken from public online sources. We have included links out to the relevant records on WhoWasInCommand.com, where you can see which sources support each data point.
Nigerian Army in Lagos state
The 81 Division responsible for army operations in Lagos state (as well as neighboring Ogun state). As with other divisions of the Nigerian Army, the chain of command for the 81 Division is:
- President Muhammadu Buhari
- Chief of Defence Staff Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin
- Chief of Army Staff Tukur Yusufu Buratai
- 81 Division Commander Major General Godwin Umelo
The 81 Division has the following Lagos-based units under its command:
- 243 Reconnaissance Battalion, based in Ibereko (note this unit was redeployed from Monguno, Borno state in 2016 switching places with the 242 Reconnaissance Battalion)
- 9 Brigade, based in Ikeja which commands:
- 149 Battalion, based in Ojo
- 174 Battalion, based in Ikorodu
- 65 Battalion, based in Victoria Island
- 9 Brigade Garrison, location unclear, but likely based in Ikeja
The 81 Division also has three Lagos state-based support units:
- 55 Division Signals, location unclear, but may be based in Apapa
- 45 Division Engineers, based in Badagry
- 81 Division Garrison, based in Igbo
We hope this information can support investigations into these reported killings, as our data has previously supported an investigation by the New York Times into killings by the Guards Brigade in Abuja.
If we can be of support or if there areas where further research would be useful, please be in touch: info@securityforcemonitor.org