As Col. Emmanuel Obeya [retd] turns 80

In a country such as Nigeria where the life expectancy is a mere 54 years, it is by the grace of Almighty God that Col.Emmanuel Idoko Obeya will be celebrating his 80th birthday on August 23, 2025 through a Thanksgiving service in church thereafter a party.

That is considering the trajectory of life he has been through particularly in his military career right from when he was enrolled into the Nigerian Military School, Zaria, Kaduna state in 1958 when it was then known as Boys Company.

Col. Obeya, who concluded his military career as an Intelligence officer was born on 23rd August 1945 in Otukpo to a government messenger, Obeya Abah from Okpoga District in the old Idoma Division. He started his primary school at St. Mary’s Catholic Primary School Otukpo in 1953 before proceeding to NA Senior Primary School Otobi as the pioneer children to complete his primary education. In early life, he was one of the first children to be admitted into Idoma NA Boarding Primary School Otobi which opened in 1955.

As earlier stated, 67 years ago, Emmanuel Obeya got enrolled into the prestigious Nigerian Military School Zaria, known then as Boys Company in 1958. While there, as a military cadet, he participated in the Nigerian Independence Celebration activities in Lagos from 30th September to 1st 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 initial service in what was then the Intelligence Section of the military in Apapa Lagos under Major Chukwuma Nzeogwu. ln the course of his illustrious career, he garnered experience as an officer in a United Nations peace operation in the DR Congo in 1963 under the Nigerian Contingent, 1st Battalion based in Leopoldville, now Kinshasa, the capital of the DR Congo. At the end of the operation, after six months of service in the Congo, he followed the battalion back to Nigeria to their then permanent location, Enugu. He was in Enugu until the first military coup in 1966, which eventually forced the battalion to relocate from Enugu to Lagos to reduce tension in the crisis leading to the Civil War.

As a further boost to his military career, in 1967, Col. Obeya was admitted into the Nigerian Defence Academy as a member of the first Emergency Course and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant of the Nigerian Army after completing the officer cadre training. He fought the Civil War in defence of the territorial integrity of Nigeria from 1968 until the end of the Civil War in 1970. He commanded the Army detachment in Therein and later took the first Army unit to Sokoto as detachment commander.

Professionally, as a military intelligence officer, Col Obeya attended several military training institutions in Nigeria and overseas first of which was the School of Military Intelligence Ashford Kent UK, and the Diversified Intelligence Technical Training Programme in the UK.

In 1976, he attended the Psychological Warfare Officer Training in North Carolina, USA. He later attended the Armed Forces Command and Staff College Jaji, Kaduna Nigeria, where he earned his PSC. He later went to the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) (Strategic Intelligence) course in Washington DC, USA, in 1982.

As a firm believer in the military, he ensured that his first son, currently a Rear Admiral in the Nigerian Navy, Robert Obeya, was enlisted in the military where he is still serving.

As a consummate and accomplished military man, Col. Obeya was on several international assignments for Nigeria, including being on a federal government delegation that went to Angola after its independence in 1975 as part of Nigeria’s technical support to that country.

In 1984, he attended the United Nations Peacekeeping Programme in Vienna, Austria, as part of training for peace enforcement between two warring countries.

His Post-military assignments include the following: He was a founding and pioneer member of the board of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). The board established what is today the NDLEA using its experience acquired in service and that of the United States, Israel, Egypt, and other countries.

During Hope 93 political activities, Col. Emmanuel Obeya (retd) was a national delegate and associated closely with co-delegate Asiwaju President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, now the president and commander in chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in support of MKO Abiola. At 80, he is very appreciative of all God has done for him and his family.

He has served this great country in many capacities. He is proud to be the pioneer director of Military Intelligence (DMI) of the Nigerian Army, also to have established an effective security department and chief security coordinator of NNPC. He has been happily married for 56 years to his loving wife Omalo Ada Obeya and is gratefully blessed with seven children, though one is now at the bosom of the Lord. For the record, Col, Obeya (retd) was the first director, military intelligence, Nigerian Army, and also the first security coordinator, NNPC. He was also a member of the first board of NDLEA Nigeria. So, even in retirement from the military Col. Obeya has never been tired in helping his beloved country Nigeria remain safe.

To mark col. Obeya’s ascension to the 8th floor of life, his family and friends are rolling out the drums on his birthday Saturday August 23, in Kaduna to celebrate him by thanking God for keeping him alive and in good health.