Wike: Four Things to Know About Major General Jamil Sarham
- Nigeria News
- 22.09.2025
- No Comment
- 34
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, recently recounted his experience during the 2019 Rivers State gubernatorial election, accusing retired Major General Jamil Sarham of ordering his shooting.
In an interview with Channels Television, Wike alleged that Sarham, then General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 6th Division in Port Harcourt, was “brought” into the state by his political rival and then Transportation Minister, Rotimi Amaechi.
“In 2019, there was one GOC; they called him General Sarham. I heard he works at the NSA office now. The man was brought in as a sitting governor; he didn’t see me. He came to Rivers State and said he would never see me.”
Wike also alleged that Sarham turned the 6th Division headquarters into an “INEC office” to rig the vote in Amaechi’s favour, promising to make him the next Chief of Army Staff. He added that Sarham directly ordered he be killed and detained a colonel for six months for refusing the order.
“General Sarham ordered that I be shot. That’s why, when I heard he was in the NSA office, I refused to go there again.”
However, in 2019, Sarham countered, alleging that Wike’s hatred stemmed from his refusal to accept a bribe to compromise the Rivers election. The recent claims have sparked curiosity about who General Sarham is.
1. Military Career and Appointments
Major General Jamil Sarham served as the 36th General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 6th Division of the Nigerian Army, headquartered in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Before this appointment in August 2018, he held other key positions including Commandant of the Nigerian Army School of Infantry, Jaji, Kaduna State. His leadership roles positioned him at the forefront of several strategic military operations.
2. Emergence as 29th NDA Commandant
Following a major redeployment of senior military officers in 2019, Major General Jamil Sarham was appointed the 29th Commandant of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) in November 2019. He succeeded Major General Adeniyi Oyebade, the 28th NDA Commandant.
During his tenure at the NDA, Sarham reaffirmed the academy’s commitment to training and producing highly skilled officers for the Nigerian Armed Forces.
3. Retirement from Service and New Role
After retiring from the Nigerian Army, Major General Jamil Sarham transitioned into the private sector. He is now the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of New Guard Security and Consultancy Services (NGSCS) Limited, a company focused on security solutions and consultancy services.
4. Controversy and Allegations
This is not the first time Wike has called out Major General Sarham. In May 2019, Wike accused the Nigerian Army in Rivers State, under Sarham’s leadership, of engaging in illegal oil bunkering in the region. He alleged that Sarham raised a team of soldiers to steal and sell petroleum products and also regularly divulged confidential security briefings to criminals.
Wike claimed that the military leadership’s reluctance to remove Sarham was deliberate, further fuelling controversies around his role during the election period.
- Military Career: Former 6th Division GOC and Army School of Infantry Commandant.
- NDA Commandant: Appointed the 29th Commandant of the Nigerian Defence Academy in November 2019.
- Retirement: Now CEO of New Guard Security and Consultancy Services Limited.
- Controversies: Accused of illegal oil bunkering and election interference by Wike, allegations he denied.
