24/09/2026
๐ณ๐ฌ ๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐๐ก๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐จ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ง๐๐ฅ๐๐ (๐ฅ๐๐ฑ.), ๐บ๐ป๐ถ, ๐๐ข๐ก
๐๐จ๐ฅ๐๐ข๐๐ซ โข ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ โข ๐๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ซ โข ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ โข ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ซ ๐๐ญ๐๐ญ๐๐ฌ๐ฆ๐๐ง
Major General Paul Chabri Tarfa (rtd.) was born on 6 August 1941 in Garkida, in present-day Gombi Local Government Area of Adamawa State. He became one of the Nigerian Army's senior officers of the first generation of post-independence Nigerian military leadership, serving for approximately 26 years before retiring in 1988.
His career included infantry command, military policing and administration, participation in the Nigerian Civil War, service at the Federal Guards, diplomatic responsibilities, military governorship, and leadership of the Nigerian Defence Academy. After leaving the Army, he continued to serve in important public-sector and national-development assignments, including the Nigerian Railway Corporation, a federal panel on the Nigeria Customs Service, and, from 2019, the North-East Development Commission (NEDC).
As of 2025โ2026, Tarfa continued to be publicly identified as Chairman of the Governing Board of the NEDC, following his reappointment and Senate confirmation in 2023.
๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐
๐, ๐
๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
Paul Chabri Tarfa was born on 6 August 1941 at Garkida, a community in the area now known as Gombi Local Government Area of Adamawa State.
Biographical records state that he attended Garkida Junior and Senior Primary School between 1949 and 1955, followed by Provincial Secondary School, Yola, from 1956 to 1961. His upbringing in Garkida occurred within a community strongly influenced by the Christian missionary presence that had become established there during the colonial period.
Tarfa later described his early life and the circumstances that influenced his decision to pursue military service in his autobiography, A Profile in Courage: Let the Truth Be Told. The memoir provides much of the available first-person account of his childhood, family environment and early experiences.
๐
๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฒ
Available biographical records identify Deborah Yusuf as Tarfa's wife, whom he married in 1968, and record that they had four sons and one daughter.
Beyond these basic details, relatively little verified information about individual members of his family has been placed in the public domain. It is therefore preferable not to embellish his family history with unsupported claims.
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
Tarfa's military career began in April 1962, when he entered the Nigerian Army's training system as a member of NMTC Course 5.
One important correction is necessary here: some secondary biographies describe his early training inconsistently, sometimes referring to the Nigerian Military Training College as being in Jaji. Available biographical records identify his early training through the Nigerian Military Training Centre/College, followed by professional military education overseas. The Biographical Legacy and Research Foundation records his attendance at the Royal Canadian Military Academy in 1962โ63, while other published accounts refer to the Royal Canadian School of Infantry.
He was commissioned into the Nigerian Army as a Second Lieutenant in October 1963.
Later professional education included attendance at the Army Staff College, Camberley, United Kingdom, in 1974, the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Jos, in 1980, and studies relating to national defence resource management in 1984.
๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง: ๐๐ซ๐ฆ๐ฒ ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ก
Tarfa is best documented as a career Infantry officer, not an Armoured Corps officer.
Some circulating biographies describe him as an Armoured Corps officer, but the biographical record and his published memoir describe him as an infantry officer. A publisher's biographical note specifically describes him as a career Infantry officer, while the Trust Radio tribute likewise identifies him as an infantry officer.
๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐
After his commissioning in 1963, Tarfa served in the Nigerian Army during one of the most turbulent periods in the country's history.
One of his early postings was to the 1st Battalion in Enugu, which had personnel involved in Nigeria's United Nations peacekeeping commitment in the Congo. He subsequently served with the Federal Guards in Lagos, an elite formation responsible for protecting key federal institutions and senior government authorities.
His service in the Federal Guards placed him close to the centre of events surrounding the 15 January 1966 military coup.
According to Tarfa's own account in A Profile in Courage, he played a role in securing the Federal Guards' position in Lagos and frustrating the movement of coup plotters in the capital. Because this account comes substantially from his own memoir, it should be understood as Tarfa's account of the events, rather than treated as an uncontested independent reconstruction of the coup.
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐
The outbreak of the Nigerian Civil War in 1967 placed Tarfa among the generation of Nigerian officers whose careers were shaped directly by the conflict.
He served with federal forces during the war and held command appointments, including battalion command. His wartime experience subsequently contributed to his progression through increasingly senior command and staff appointments.
The Civil War was an exceptionally destructive conflict, and any assessment of individual officers' records during it should be placed within the wider military and humanitarian history of 1967โ1970 rather than reduced to claims of personal heroism or blame without documentary evidence.
Tarfa later devoted substantial portions of his memoir to the war and to the decisions made by Nigerian military commanders during the conflict.
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
One of the most important stages of Tarfa's career came during the Murtala Mohammed administration.
In July 1975, Tarfa, then a Lieutenant Colonel, became Provost Marshal of the Nigerian Army. His responsibilities placed him at the centre of military discipline, policing and enforcement.
He became associated with efforts to improve discipline within the Army and with the government's wider campaign to tackle indiscipline in Nigerian society.
He was also given a highly visible assignment connected with the problem of traffic congestion and indiscipline in Lagos, at the time commonly described through the expression "go-slow." Accounts of his career describe the use of strict enforcement measures during this period.
His period as Provost Marshal also involved the strengthening and professionalisation of the Military Police Corps. The Biographical Legacy and Research Foundation records that he served as Provost Marshal and subsequently held several command and staff appointments.
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ร ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
During the 1970s, Tarfa served as Defence Attachรฉ to India, representing Nigerian military interests and contributing to defence-related diplomatic relations between Nigeria and India.
His career also included senior administrative appointments and command responsibilities ranging from formation-level leadership to staff positions.
The biographical record lists appointments including:
โข Assistant Adjutant General;
โข Provost Marshal;
โข Commandant of infantry formations;
โข Commandant of the Brigade of Guards;
โข Director within the Army's training structure; and
โข Senior instructional appointments at the Command and Staff College.
These assignments illustrate that his career was not confined to field command. He developed a substantial record in military administration, discipline and officer training.
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐
๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐
๐จ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
In July 1978, Colonel Paul Tarfa was appointed Military Governor/Administrator of Oyo State, succeeding Colonel David Jemibewon.
He served during the final phase of General Olusegun Obasanjo's military government, when Nigeria was preparing for the return to elected civilian government. Official Oyo State historical material lists Tarfa as military administrator from 1979โSeptember 1979, while other historical records give his tenure as July 1978 to October 1979, with the latter date reflecting the formal handover to the elected government.
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ง ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐
Tarfa's administration is particularly significant because it occurred during the transition from military government to the Second Republic.
On 1 October 1979, the military government handed over power to the newly elected civilian administration. Tarfa therefore handed over the administration of Oyo State to Chief Bola Ige, who became the state's civilian governor under the Unity Party of Nigeria.
This transition was part of the wider national handover from the Obasanjo military government to an elected civilian government.
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐
Tarfa's military background strongly influenced his approach to administration.
Accounts of his period in government portray an emphasis on discipline, enforcement of regulations, public order and administrative control.
His supporters have viewed this approach as an expression of military professionalism and his determination to impose order. Critics of military governance more broadly have argued that such methods could place excessive emphasis on coercion and compliance at the expense of civil liberties.
This distinction is important: Tarfa's administration operated under military rule, meaning that it was not an elected civilian administration and operated within the political structure of the military government of the period.
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
After his governorship, Tarfa returned to senior military duties.
He became Commandant of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Kaduna, in January 1984.
Available historical lists of NDA commandants place his tenure at approximately 1984โ1985, after Brigadier Abdullahi Shelleng and before Major General Peter Adomokai.
๐๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ข๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐
As NDA Commandant, Tarfa was responsible for an institution charged with preparing future officers of the Nigerian Armed Forces.
His leadership philosophy emphasised:
โข discipline;
โข merit;
โข professional military standards;
โข academic and military training;
โข personal responsibility; and
โข adherence to institutional regulations.
A notable account associated with his tenure concerns the dismissal of cadets who had violated academy rules. Tarfa later discussed the episode in his memoir as an example of his belief that military standards should be applied without regard to ethnic or religious background.
Because the detailed account comes from Tarfa's own recollection, it should be identified as such when presented to readers.
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐
๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐
Paul Tarfa retired from the Nigerian Army in January 1988, having completed approximately 26 years of military service.
He retired in the rank of Major General.
His retirement did not mark the end of his public service. Instead, he moved into civilian administrative and institutional roles.
๐๐๐๐-๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐ต๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐น๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ช๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
Following his retirement, Tarfa was appointed Managing Director/Chief Executive of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC).
The appointment brought him into civilian public-sector management, where he applied his administrative experience to an organisation facing significant operational and institutional difficulties.
Available biographical records identify this as one of his major post-retirement appointments.
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐
๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐
๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐
In 1993, Tarfa headed a federal panel established to examine the activities of the Nigeria Customs Service.
The panel was tasked with examining the organisation's operations and recommending measures relating to its administration and restructuring.
This appointment further demonstrated the federal government's continued use of his military and administrative experience after his retirement from active service.
๐๐๐๐๐-๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ โ ๐๐๐๐
๐จ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐
One of Tarfa's most prominent post-retirement appointments came decades after he left the Army.
In January 2019, President Muhammadu Buhari submitted Tarfa's name to the Senate for confirmation as Chairman of the Governing Board of the North-East Development Commission. The Senate confirmed the nomination in April 2019, and President Buhari inaugurated the board on 8 May 2019.
The NEDC was established to coordinate reconstruction, rehabilitation and development in the six North-East states:
Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe.
The commission's work is closely connected to the destruction caused by the Boko Haram insurgency and the resulting displacement, infrastructure damage and economic disruption.
๐๐๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ
In July 2023, the Senate confirmed Tarfa's reappointment as Chairman of the NEDC Governing Board.
He subsequently remained publicly identified as NEDC chairman in official and government reporting through 2025 and into 2026.
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐
Under the board chaired by Tarfa, NEDC has overseen projects involving infrastructure, education, healthcare, roads, humanitarian intervention, agriculture and economic development across the North-East.
The commission's North-East Stabilisation and Development Master Plan (NESDMP) provides a 2020โ2030 framework for regional recovery and development. The official plan identifies phases including recovery and stabilisation, renewal, expansion and sustainable growth.
During Tarfa's tenure as chairman, NEDC has also pursued transportation initiatives, including plans for electric-powered vehicles to address transportation challenges in the region.
Government reporting in 2025 continued to identify Tarfa as chairman while the commission handed over completed infrastructure projects in states including Borno and Yobe.
It is important, however, to distinguish between projects executed by the NEDC as an institution and projects personally conceived or executed by Tarfa. The chairman leads the governing board; he should not automatically be credited personally for every project undertaken by the commission.
๐๐๐๐ โ ๐ ๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
One of the most important sources for understanding Tarfa's own interpretation of his life and military career is his autobiography:
๐ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ ๐: ๐๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ซ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐
The first edition was published by Spectrum Books in 2007, while a revised edition was published by Parresia in 2017.
The book covers his childhood in Garkida, his entry into the military, the January 1966 coup, the Nigerian Civil War, his later military appointments, his time as Oyo State military governor and his retirement from the Army.
The memoir is particularly valuable because it provides an insider's account of events in which Tarfa personally participated. At the same time, because it is an autobiography, some interpretations should be distinguished from independently corroborated historical facts.
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐ด๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐น๐๐๐ ๐๐๐
๐ซ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฎ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
One unavoidable aspect of Tarfa's historical record is that several of his most prominent appointments occurred under military governments.
He served as a senior Army officer during periods when Nigeria was governed by military regimes, and he himself served as Military Governor of Oyo State.
Consequently, his public career forms part of Nigeria's wider history of military intervention in politics. Any assessment of his governorship must therefore consider both the administrative responsibilities he performed and the broader constitutional and political circumstances of military rule.
๐๐ง๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ข๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐
๐ป๐๐๐๐โ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐
๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐ถ๐๐ ๐ฏ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฐ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
line has attracted both praise and criticism.
Supporters regard discipline as one of the defining characteristics of his military leadership. Critics can reasonably question coercive enforcement methods associated with military administration, particularly where measures were applied to civilian populations.
These competing interpretations should not be presented as established facts about his personal character without specific evidence.
Tarfa's memoir contains strong views about several major events in Nigerian military history, including the coups, the Civil War and the conduct of senior military officers.
Some of these interpretations differ from other historical accounts.
For that reason, statements attributed to Tarfa about disputed historical events are best presented as his account or interpretation, rather than automatically treated as settled historical fact.
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐
Available biographical records identify Tarfa with the following honours and distinctions:
โข ๐ซ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐บ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ด๐๐
๐๐ (๐ซ๐บ๐ด);
โข ๐ด๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ต๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฐ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ (๐๐๐); ๐๐๐
โข ๐ช๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ถ๐๐
๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ต๐๐๐๐ (๐ช๐ถ๐ต).
His CON was included in Nigeria's 2022 National Honours list for retired military officers.
He also holds the traditional title of Yeriman Garkida, associated with his hometown in Adamawa State.
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐
๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
Tarfa has been described in biographical material as maintaining interests outside military and government service.
He is particularly associated with golf, horse riding and farming, including poultry and citrus farming. A published biography also identifies him as a long-time resident of Kaduna and notes his continued involvement in agricultural activities after military retirement.
His traditional title of Yeriman Garkida has also connected him with his community and regional identity.
๐๐๐๐๐๐
Paul Chabri Tarfa belongs to a generation of Nigerian officers whose careers unfolded alongside some of the most consequential events in the country's post-independence history.
His military career covered:
๐๐๐๐ โ ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ง ๐๐ซ๐ฆ๐ฒ
โ
๐๐๐๐ โ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐๐ง๐๐ง๐ญ
โ
๐๐๐๐ โ ๐
๐๐๐๐ซ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ฎ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ฉ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ
โ
๐๐๐๐โ๐๐๐๐ โ ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ง ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐๐ซ ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐
โ
๐๐๐๐๐ฌ โ ๐๐๐ง๐ข๐จ๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฒ-๐ฉ๐จ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ
โ
๐๐๐๐โ๐๐๐๐ โ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ/๐๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ง๐จ๐ซ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐จ ๐๐ญ๐๐ญ๐
โ
๐๐๐๐โ๐๐๐๐ โ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐๐๐ง๐ญ, ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ง ๐๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ฒ
โ
๐๐๐๐ โ ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ซ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฃ๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐ฅ
โ
๐๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ-๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ซ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ โ ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ง ๐๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ซ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐ ๐ง๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ
โ
๐๐๐๐ โ ๐๐ก๐๐ข๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐ง, ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐๐ซ๐
โ
๐๐๐๐ โ ๐๐๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ข๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐ ๐๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ญ๐
โ
๐๐๐๐โ๐๐๐๐ โ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ฎ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ข๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ข๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐ง
His career therefore extends beyond the conventional image of a military officer. He served as a field commander, military policeman, administrator, governor, trainer of officers, railway administrator and regional-development leader.
HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE
Perhaps the most important way to understand Major General Paul Chabri Tarfa is to place him within the history of Nigeria's military institution.
He belonged to the generation of officers who entered the Army shortly after independence and subsequently experienced the 1966 coups, the Nigerian Civil War, military government, the 1979 transition to civilian rule, the later military regimes and the eventual return to democratic government.
His later involvement in the NEDC also created an unusual historical bridge between two periods of Nigerian public life: the era in which the military was directly involved in governing the country and the contemporary era in which a retired senior officer serves within a civilian federal development institution.
๐ฟ๐๐๐พ๐๐ผ๐๐๐๐ / ๐๐๐๐๐พ๐ ๐๐๐๐
This biography has been written from ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐ ๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ including Nigerian government material, parliamentary records, the North-East Development Commission, Nigerian newspapers and published accounts of Tarfa's autobiography.
Some details of his early military training, individual appointments and particular events surrounding the 1966 coup and Civil War are reported differently across sources. Where there is a conflict, this biography has avoided presenting the disputed version as unquestionable fact.
In particular, ๐ป๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐ ๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
as a career ๐ฐ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐จ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐ช๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐, based on the available biographical and publisher records.
Similarly, lists giving his NDA commandant tenure as ๐๐๐๐โ๐๐๐๐ should be treated cautiously. The available chronological records of NDA commandants place ๐ด๐๐๐๐ ๐ฎ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ท๐๐๐ ๐ป๐๐๐๐ at the Academy from 1984 to 1985, followed later by Major General Peter Adomokai.
Finally, achievements attributed to the NEDC should not automatically be interpreted as personal achievements of Tarfa. The NEDC is a government institution whose programmes are implemented by its board, management and staff under its statutory mandate.
๐
๐จ๐ซ ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐๐ฒ, ๐ซ๐๐๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฌ๐ก ๐๐๐ญ๐ฐ๐๐๐ง ๐ข๐ง๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ง๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐๐ฎ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ญ๐ฌ, ๐๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ , ๐๐ง๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐๐ซ๐๐'๐ฌ ๐จ๐ฐ๐ง ๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐จ๐๐ข๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐ก๐ฒ.
๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐
Military World HQ ๐ณ๐ฌ
Preserving Military History โข Defence Education โข Historical Archives โข Armed Forces Documentation.
