82nd Division (Nigeria)

The 82nd (Airborne and Amphibious) Division is the only combined infantry between airborne forces, mechanized infantry, and motorized infantry division unit of the Nigerian Army (NA), which specialized in air assault and airborne operations, amphibious warfare, combined arms, coastal defence, CQB/CQC in urban areas, desert and jungle warfare, maneuver warfare, mountain warfare, providing security at ports or shore stations, raiding with smal unit tactics, and reconnaissance. It has an area of responsibility covering Southern Nigeria, near the borders with Cameroon.^[1] It is numbered in honor of the 82nd (West Africa) Division during the Burma campaign.

82 Division
Active	1975–present
Country	Nigeria
Type	Airborne forces Mechanized infantry Motorized infantry
Role	Air assault Amphibious warfare Anti-tank warfare Armoured reconnaissance Artillery observer Bomb disposal Close-quarters battle Coastal defence Combined arms Counter-battery fire Fire support Force protection Indirect fire Internal security Maneuver warfare Mountain warfare Parachuting Raiding Reconnaissance Tracking Urban warfare
Size	Division
Part of	Nigerian Army
Garrison/HQ	Enugu, Enugu State

History

It was established in 1975.^[2] General Mamman Jiya Vatsa established the doctrinal basis for the establishment of the 82nd Division, including its naming after the 82nd West African Division.^[3]

In 1982, Col. Musa Bityong aided the establishment of the first Airborne of a "can do, special forces" officer - "a soldier's soldier" squad in the division.^[4]

Structure

The division included:^[5][6]

• Headquarters (Enugu^[7][8])
• 7 Amphibious Battalion
• 93 Amphibious Battalion (Takum)^[9]
• 146 Amphibious Battalion
• 245 Reconnaissance Battalion^[5][10]
• 2 Amphibious Brigade (Port Harcourt)
  • 1 Amphibious Battalion
  • 20 Amphibious Battalion
  • 40 Motorized Battalion
• 13 Motorized Brigade (Calabar)
  • 4 Motorized Battalion
  • 103 Amphibious Battalion (Garikki)
• 34 Field Artillery Brigade (Obinze)^[11]
  • 341 Field Artillery Regiment
  • 342 Field Artillery Regiment
  • 343 Field Artillery Regiment

Commanders

• Zamani Lekwot (?)
• Oladipo Diya (1985-1991)
• Major General Felix Mujakperuo (1996-1998)^[12][13]
• Major General Ibrahim Attahiru
• Major General UT Musa
• Major General AB Abubakar
• Major General LA Adegboye
• Major General TA Lagbaja
• Major General HT Dada
• Major General S.Y Bello