Like Colonel Emmanuel Obeya [retd] turn 80

In a country like Nigeria where life expectancy is only 54 years old, it is by the grace of Almighty God who Col.emmanuel Idoko Obeya will celebrate his 80th birthday on August 23, 2025 through a thanksgiving service in the church later a party.

This is considering the trajectory of life that he has lived in particular in his military career since he was enrolled in the Nigerian military school, Zaria, Kaduna state in 1958 when he was then known as Boys Company.

Colonel Obeya, who concluded his military career as an officer of the intelligence was born on August 23, 1945 in Otukpo from a messenger of the government, Obeya Abah from the Okpoga district in the Old IDOMA division. He started his elementary school at the Catholic Primary School of St. Mary Otukpo in 1953 before proceeding to the senior elementary school of Na Otobi as pioneers children to complete his primary education. In early childhood, he was one of the first children to be admitted to the Idoma Na Boarding Primary School Otobi opened in 1955.

As previously stated, 67 years ago, Emmanuel Obeya enrolled in the prestigious Nigerian military school Zaria, then known as Boys Company in 1958. While there, as a military cadet, he participated in the celebration of Nigerian independence in Lagos from 30 September to 1 October 1960, giving him a proud place in the history of our great country, Nigeria. When he graduated from the military school, his first career as a soldier began in 1962, with an initial service in what was then the intelligence section of the APAPA Lagos military under the major Chukwuma Nzeogwu. During his illustrious career, he obtained experience as an officer in a United Nations peace operation in the Congo Dr in 1963 under the Nigerian contingent, 1st battalion based in Leopoldville, now Kinshasa, the capital of the Congo Dr. At the end of the operation, after six months of service in the Congo, followed the battalion in Nigeria in their permanent position, Enugu. It was in Enugu until the first military blow of 1966, which in the end forced the battalion to move from Enugu to Lagos to reduce the tension in the crisis that leads to the civil war.

As a further impulse to his military career, in 1967, Col. Obeya was admitted to the Nigerian Defense Academy as a member of the first emergency course and was commissioned as the second lieutenant of the Nigerian army after completing the formation of the Cadre officers. He fought the civil war in defense of the territorial integrity of Nigeria from 1968 until the end of the civil war in 1970. He commanded the detachment of the army there and later brought the first unit of the army to Sokoto as a commander of the detachment.

Professionally, as an officer of military intelligence, with Obeya he attended several military training institutions in Nigeria and before overseas the first of which was the School of Military Intelligence Ashford Kent Uk and the diversified technical training program of intelligence in the United Kingdom.

In 1976, he participated in training for psychological war officer in the North Carolina, in the United States. Later he attended the command of the armed forces and the college of staff Jaji, Kaduna Nigeria, where he earned his PSC. He later went to the course of the Intelligence Intelligence course (DIA) (strategic intelligence) in Washington DC, USA, in 1982.

As a supporter firmly convinced in the army, he assured that his first child, currently a recipient in the Nigerian navy, Robert Obeya, was enrolled in the army where he is still serving.

As a military consummated and skilled, Colonel Obeya was in various international positions for Nigeria, including being in a delegation of the federal government that went to Angola after its independence in 1975 as part of Nigeria’s technical support in that country.

In 1984, he attended the United Nations Peace Program in Vienna, Austria, in the field of training for the application of peace between two countries in war.

His post-military positions include the following: he was a founding member and pioneer of the Council of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). The Board of Directors has established what is today the NDLEA that uses its experience acquired in service and that of the United States, Israel, Egypt and other countries.

During the hope 93 political activities, Colonel Emmanuel Obeya (Retd) was a national delegate and associated in close contact with the co-elected of the president Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, now president and commander in chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in support of Mko Abiola. At 80, he is very grateful for all that God has done for him and his family.

He served this great country in many skills. He is proud to be the pioneer director of military intelligence (DMI) of the Nigerian army, also of having established an effective Department of Security and Safety Coordinator of NNPC. He has been happily married for 56 years with his loving wife of Obed Obeya and is blessed with gratitude with seven children, even if one is now in the breast of the Lord. For the record, Col, Obeya (Retd) was the first director, Military Intelligence, Army Nigerian and also the first security coordinator, NNPC. He was also a member of the first Board of Directors of Ndlea Nigeria. So even retired from the military colonel Obeya has never been tired of helping his beloved country in Nigeria to remain safe.

To Mark Col. The ascension of Obeya on the 8th floor of life, his family and friends are launching the battery for his birthday on Saturday 23 August, in Kaduna to celebrate him thanking God for keeping him in life and in good health.

Related