The Nigerian Army has described the late retired Lt.-Gen. Chikadibia Obiakor as an exceptional soldier and international peacekeeper whose career elevated Nigeria’s profile in global security.
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, stated this in a tribute at an Evening of Tributes organised by the Army in honour of Obiakor in Abuja on Saturday.
The tribute was read on behalf of the COAS by the Chief of Transformation and Innovation (Army), Maj.-Gen. Peter Okoye.
Shaibu said Obiakor’s career was marked by professionalism, courage, intellectual depth, humility and an unwavering commitment to the service of Nigeria and humanity.
According to him, Obiakor was commissioned into the Nigerian Army in 1973 as a member of the 10th Regular Course of the Nigerian Defence Academy.
He said the late general distinguished himself in command and operational appointments both within Nigeria and international peace-support organisations.
The COAS said Obiakor’s service reflected the highest traditions of the Nigerian Army and contributed significantly to strengthening Nigeria’s reputation as a major contributor to global peace and security.
He recalled that the deceased commanded the ECOMOG Artillery Brigade in Liberia between 1996 and 1997 and played a significant role in coordinating the country’s elections.
Shaibu said Obiakor later became the first Force Commander of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), providing strategic and operational leadership to the mission.
He added that in 2008, then UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, appointed the deceased as Military Adviser for UN Peacekeeping Operations at the UN Headquarters in New York.
The appointment, according to him, made Obiakor the first African to occupy the position and underscored the confidence reposed in his professional competence and leadership.
The COAS said the deceased continued contributing to international peace and security after his retirement from active service in 2011.
He said the late general undertook several important United Nations assignments involving conflicts in South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Syria.
Shaibu recalled that Obiakor led a UN special investigation into an incident in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2018 and later chaired the UN Secretary-General’s Board of Inquiry into the destruction of humanitarian facilities in north-west Syria.
‘Gen. Obiakor’s post-retirement contributions demonstrated that his commitment to service transcends the boundaries of the military uniform,’ he said.
He also described Obiakor as an ambassador of the Nigerian Army whose accomplishments projected the competence, professionalism and values of the service to the international community.