President Goodluck Jonathan has made changes in the topmost hierarchy of the armed forces, dropping the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Air Chief Marshal Oluseyi Petinrin.

Former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ola Sa'ad Ibrahim, from Kwara State, has now replaced him in that position.

Also dropped was the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Mohammed Umar, but the president retained the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Azubuike Ihejirika, from Abia State, in his post.

According to a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr Reuben Abati, the president approved the appointment of Rear Admiral D.J. Ezeoba (Delta) as the new Chief of Naval Staff and Air Vice Marshal A.S. Badeh (Adamawa) as Chief of Air Staff.

The statement said President Jonathan thanked the outgoing service chiefs "for their meritorious and commendable service to the nation and wishes them well in their future endeavours.”

The new Chief of Defence Staff, Vice Admiral Ibrahim, was born on June 15 1955.

A graduate of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Kaduna and the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, he trained with the Royal and Indian navies.

Vice Admiral Ibrahim, a Navigation and Direction specialist, holds a Bachelor of Law degree from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU).

He was at the Royal College of Defence Studies, United Kingdom as a member in 2002, where he also obtained a Masters degree from the Department of War Studies and Public Policy at the Kings College, University of London.

Vice Admiral Ibrahim was decorated with the Distinguished Service Star (DSS) and the Golden Jubilee Medal. He is happily married and blessed with children.

Air Vice Marshal Badeh was born in Vimtim, Mubi North Local Government Area of Adamawa State on January 10, 1957.

He was admitted into the NDA as a member of the 21 Regular Course on January 3, 1977 and was commissioned pilot officer on July 3, 1979.

He started his flying career at the 301 Flying Training School on the Bulldog Primary Trainer aircraft in 1979 and, between 1981 and 1982, he attended the undergraduate pilot training at Vance Air Force Base in the United States Air Force.

He was promoted Air Vice Marshal on January 3, 2008.

He is a qualified flying instructor and had accumulated over 6,000 flying hours on the Bulldog 123, Do 128-6, Do 228, Hawker 125, Hawker 1000, Falcon 900 and Gulfstream 5 airplanes.

Rear Admiral Ezeoba was born on July 25, 1958 in Jos, Plateau State, although he hails from Ibusa, in Oshimili-North Local Government Area of Delta State.

A graduate of the NDA Regular Course 22 and the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, he trained at various times with the United States, Royal and Indian navies.

He is a Navigation and Direction specialist and holds a Master of Science Degree in Strategic Studies from the University of Ibadan.

He was decorated with the DSS and the Golden Jubilee Medal and is married to Vivian Ifeyinwa Ezeoba and the family is blessed with children.