3rd Division (Nigeria)


The 3rd Armoured Division is a division of the Nigerian Army. The division is headquartered at Jos, Plateau State.

History

Founding and Civil War

The 3rd Division of the Nigerian Army dates to August–September 1967 during the Nigerian Civil War. At that time 1 Area Command at Kaduna was redesignated 1 Infantry Division, 2 Division was formed under Colonel Murtala Mohammed, and the then Lagos Garrison Organisation was renamed 3 Infantry Division, later to be renamed 3 Marine Commando under Colonel Benjamin Adekunle.
Then-Colonel Olusegun Obasanjo took over command of 3 Division from Benjamin Adekunle on 12 May 1969. He carried out a thorough reorganisation of the division's administration and eliminated the sector level of command which had been operating between the division and brigade level. He also formed a new reserve battalion, the Special Task Force, later to become 'Apollo Battalion' after the Apollo 11 Moon landing of 20 July 1969, which was not to be used for ground-holding duties.
At the end of the Civil War, the three divisions of the army were reorganised into four divisions, with each controlling territories running from North to South in order to deemphasise the former regional structure. Each division thus had access to the sea thereby making triservice cooperation and logistic support easier. This deployment formula was later abandoned in favour of the present assignment of sectors to the divisions. Thus 1 Division with HQ at Kaduna is allocated the North West sector; 2 Division with HQ at lbadan South West sector, 3 Division with HQ at Jos North East sector and 82 Division with HQ at Enugu South East sector.

Later operations

3rd Armoured Division was responsible in April 1983 for the security of areas bordering Chad during the Chadian–Nigerian War.
From October 22 to 24, 2001, several hundred Army soldiers of the Yola Brigade of 3rd Armoured Division killed more than two hundred unarmed civilians and destroyed homes, shops, public buildings and other property in more than seven towns and villages in Benue State, in central eastern Nigeria. The 72nd Special Forces Battalion appears to have tried to intercede with the Yola Brigade to avoid further killings, in the midst of the events.

Divisional components

Structure

The division has the following structure:
  • Divisional Headquarters
  • 21 Armoured Brigade
  • 23 Armoured Brigade
  • * 231 Tank Battalion
  • * 232 Tank Battalion
  • 243 Reconnaissance Battalion
  • 33 Artillery Brigade
  • * 331 Field Artillery Regiment
  • * 332 Field Artillery Regiment
  • Engineer Brigade

Equipment

Main battle tanks in Nigerian service include the T-72 and T-54/55 and over 100 Vickers Mark 3s.

Commanders

  • Colonel Benjamin Adekunle
  • Colonel Olusegun Obasanjo
  • Brigadier Theophilus Danjuma
  • Brigadier Emmanuel Abisoye
  • Major General Muhammadu Buhari
  • Brigadier Salihu Ibrahim
  • Major General Joshua Dogonyaro
  • Brigadier Tunji Olurin
  • Major General Peter Gyang Sha
  • Major General E. Archibong
  • Major General T. S. Akande
  • Major General Joseph Owoniyi
  • Major General Danmadami Diaji
  • Major General Isiaku Dikko
  • Major General Joseph Oshanupin
  • Major General Olakunle Akinyemi
  • Major General Saleh Maina
  • Major General Sunday Idoko
  • Major General Adamu Marwa
  • Major General Jack Okechukwu Naobo
  • Major General Ebiobwei Bonna Awala
  • Major General John Nwaogo
  • Major General John S. Zaruwa
  • Major General Fatai Oladipo Alli
  • Major General Hassan Umaru
  • Brigadier General Muhammed Sani Ali
  • Brigadier General Elvis Njoku
  • Major General Peter Dauke
  • Major General Benjamin Ahanotu
  • Major General Benson Akinroluyo
  • Major General Nuhu Angbazo
  • Major General Musa Danmadami
  • Major General Bello Abdullahi Muhammed
  • Major General Ibrahim Sallau Ali
  • Major General Abdulsalami Bagudu Ibrahim
  • Major General Abdulsalam E. Abubakar
  • Major General Folusho Oyinlola