Major General Bemgba Paul Koughna has assumed command as the new General Officer Commanding (GOC), 8 Division of the Nigerian Army, and Commander, Sector 2 Joint Task Force (North West), Operation FANSAN YAMMA.
The handover ceremony took place at the Headquarters of 8 Division, Giginya Cantonment, Sokoto State, where Gen. Koughna formally took over from Major General Ibikunle Ademola Ajose.
During his inaugural address, Major General Koughna expressed gratitude to the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, for the confidence reposed in him.
He pledged to build on the achievements of his predecessor and further strengthen security and stability in the region.
“I will build on the successes already recorded and work with officers and men of the Division to enhance peace and security in the North West,” he stated.
The outgoing GOC, Major General Ajose, congratulated his successor and described him as a seasoned officer with vast operational experience.
He expressed confidence that Major General Koughna would further advance the fight against terrorism and banditry, given his deep understanding of the region’s security challenges.
“In 8 Division, Sector Two, Operation Fassan Yamma, we have been able to neutralise so many bandit leaders. We have destroyed quite a number of their enclaves.
“And in the year 2025 alone, we captured over 200 weapons, thousands of ammunition, recovered more than 1000 livestock and rescued over 1000 kidnapped victims”.
Speaking on the antecedent of his successor, Maj. Gen. Ajose said the incoming GOC, Maj. Gen. Koughna is a highly decorated senior officer, renowned for his exceptional leadership, strategic brilliance and unwavering dedication to national and international security
Born on November 20, 1972, he is a member of the 43rd Regular Course of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), where he was commissioned in 1996.
He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from the NDA, a Master’s degree in National Security and War Studies from the National Defence University, Islamabad, Pakistan, and a Certificate d’Études Françaises from France.
Throughout his career, Major General Koughna has held several key command, staff, and instructional appointments, including Commanding Officer, 26 Battalion, Sokoto; Defence Adviser at the Nigerian High Commission in Islamabad; Chief of Staff, 6 Division; Commander, 27 Task Force Brigade; Director of Civil-Military Affairs at Army Headquarters; and Deputy Chief of Operations at Army Headquarters.
He has participated in major peacekeeping and internal security operations, including ECOMOG in Sierra Leone, Operation Harmony IV in the Bakassi Peninsula, the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Operation Restore Peace in Bakura Forest, and Operation HADIN KAI in the North East.
His role in Operation HADIN KAI earned him the Nigerian Army Outstanding Tactical Command Medal.
In addition to his military career, Major General Koughna is an author of two books, “Rivulets of Wisdom” (2005) and “Battle Leadership” (2024), which focus on leadership and military strategy.
Married with three children, he is known for balancing his military career with personal development, reading, and sports.
As the 11th GOC of 8 Division and Commander of Sector 2, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, Major General Koughna’s appointment is expected to further reinforce security efforts and boost confidence in the ongoing fight against insecurity in the North West.
