OVERVIEW
The Cadets Brigade (CB) is one of the main organs of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) and it is saddled with the primary responsibility for the day – to – day administration, discipline and welfare of cadets. The CB handles the quartering of cadets, supervision of cadets feeding, discipline, club activities and regimentation. Within this context, the focus of the CB is the grooming of the cadets in order to inculcate in them the requisite character and leadership ability to meet the requirement of the Armed Forces of Nigeria. As at 13 Jan 23, there are a total of 2,990 Regular Combatant cadets in the Academy, this figure comprises 2,854 regular male cadets and 136 regular female cadets. Additionally, there are 12 allied cadets from Burkina-Faso, Sierra Leone, Republic of Congo, Cameroon and Liberia.
DESCRIPTION AND FUNCTION OF THE DIRECTORATE
The Brigade is commanded by an Army Officer with established rank of Brigadier General. The Commander of CB is designated as the Cadets Brigade Commander (CBC). The CB comprises of a Headquarters and 5 Officers Cadets Battalions (Mogadishu, Dalet, Abyssinia, Burma and Ashanti Battalion). It also has the Counseling Unit, Preparatory Wing and the Valiant Magazine Office. The Valiant is the official magazine of the NDA.
BIOGRAPHY
Brigadier General Osamede Izevbuwa Odigie was born on 4 Oct 1976. He attended All Saints Church Primary School Ibadan from where he proceeded to the Nigerian Military School Zaria. On leaving the Nigerian Military School, he gained admission into the Nigerian Defence Academy as a member of 46 Regular Course. On completion of cadet training, he was commissioned into the Nigerian Army Armour Corps on 18 Sep 99. He has served in several capacities and held command, instructional and staff appointments. He started his operational career in 2000 as a platoon commander in 232 Tank Battalion Yola from where he was posted to Operation Harmony in Bakassi Peninsula as part of 19 Bn where he held a frontline platoon directly facing the Cameroonian forces. He has also served in Liberia and Sudan as part of a peacekeeping formed unit and in the Democratic Republic of Congo as a UN military observer. Col Odigie commanded a tank battalion from 2015-2017 as part of Operation LAFIYA DOLE, to rid insurgents from the North East of Nigeria. He has also served as an instructor in several training institutions among which are the Nigerian Army School of Infantry and the Nigerian Army Armour School. He was also a Directing Staff at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College from 2013 – 2015, and the Army War College Nigeria from 2021-2022. He has served as a staff officer at Brigade, Corps and Army Headquarters level. He was Grade 2 staff officer at 22 Bde Ilorin as well as Grade 1and Deputy Chief of Staff at the Headquarters Armour Corps at different times. He also served as the Deputy Director Operations at the defunct AHQ Department of Army Training and Operations from 2018 – 2020. He equally served as the Military Assistant to the Commander Armoured Corps and the then Chief Department of Research and Development, DHQ. He is currently the Cadet Brigade Commander Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna.
Brig Gen OI Odigie has completed all courses commensurate to his rank. He completed his strategic course at the Royal College of Defence Studies, UK from 2020 – 2021. He has a master’s degree in International Relations and Strategic Studies from the Nigerian Defence Academy and a MA Degree in International Security and Strategy from Kings College London. His hobby includes reading, travelling, and watching documentaries. He is happily married and blessed with 3 children.
CADET BRIGADE COMMANDER CHRONICLE OF COMMAND
Serial | Rank | Initial | Surname | Decoration | P/No | From | To | Rmk |
(a) | (b) | (c) | (d) | (e) | (f) | (g) | (h) | (i) |
CADETS BATTALIONS COMMANDERS | ||||||||
1 | Lt Col | MS | Rawat | 1964 | 1969 | |||
2 | Lt Col | JCN | Jatar | 1969 | 1971 | |||
3 | Lt Col | Z | Lekwot | 1971 | 1972 | |||
4 | Lt Col | IOS | Nwachukwu | N/ | 1972 | 1975 | ||
5 | Lt Col | S | Ibrahim | N/542 | 1975 | 1976 | ||
6 | Lt Col | SS | Tomoye | psc | N/656 | 1976 | 1977 | |
7 | Lt Col | JN | Shagaya | psc | N/722 | 1978 | 1979 | |
8 | Lt Col | MNA | Njoku | psc | N/746 | 1979 | 1981 | |
9 | Lt Col | MA | Balogun | psc | N/1305 | 1981 | 1984 | |
CADETS BRIGADE COMMANDERS | ||||||||
10 | Lt Col | MA | Balogun | psc | N/1305 | 1984 | 1985 | |
11 | Lt Col | AS | Mukhtar | psc | N/2002 | 1985 | 1987 | |
12 | Col | BS | Magashi | N/1997 | 1987 | 1990 | ||
13 | Col | M | Abba | FSS psc | N/976 | 1990 | 1992 | |
14 | Col | MB | Alfred | FSS mni psc | N/1377 | 1992 | 1992 | |
15 | Brig Gen | M | Alfred | FSS mni psc | N/1377 | 1992 | 1993 | |
16 | Col | AG | Mohammed | MSS psc fwc | N/650 | 1993 | 1993 | |
17 | Brig Gen | AG | Mohammed | MSS psc fwc | N/650 | 1993 | 1994 | |
18 | Col | AFK | Akale | MSS psc(+) | N/2663 | 1994 | 1995 | |
19 | Col | TS | Akande | MSS psc(+) fwc | N/2692 | 1995 | 1996 | |
20 | Brig Gen | TS | Akande | MSS psc(+) fwc | N/2393 | 1996 | 1996 |