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In a moment that has filled Benue State with immense pride, Makurdi-born Major General Raymond Terungwa Utsaha, DSS, CM, FCM, GOM, psc(Gh), fdc, B.Eng(Hons) Elect/Elect, MIAD, MPhil, MNIM, was on Wednesday formally decorated with his new rank of Major General by the Honourable Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa.
The colourful ceremony, held in Abuja, was graced by retired Justice Peter Utsaha, the proud father of the new Major General, who personally performed part of the decoration alongside the Minister.
Major General Utsaha, until his elevation, served as Brigadier General and Deputy Director, Defence Operations at the Defence Headquarters. His promotion, contained in the Nigerian Army Council release of 28 November 2025, was described by military sources as a recognition of his exceptional professionalism, strategic acumen and unblemished service record.
Reacting to the promotion, the Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Berger Alfred Emberga, congratulated the new Major General, describing the elevation as “well-deserved and strategic for national defence.”
“On behalf of the 10th Benue State House of Assembly, I heartily congratulate our own illustrious son, Major General Raymond Terungwa Utsaha, on this landmark promotion. This is not just a personal achievement but a testament to the quality of sons and daughters Benue continues to contribute to Nigeria’s defence architecture,” the Speaker said.
He added that the promotion further reaffirms Benue’s unwavering commitment to the peace, unity and defence of the Federal Republic of Nigeria even in the face of local security challenges.
From Zone A to Zone C, congratulatory messages have continued to pour in for the soft-spoken but highly cerebral officer regarded as one of the finest products of the Nigerian Defence Academy’s Regular Course 38.
As the ranks on his shoulders change from one star to two, the people of Benue, particularly the Idoma nation, are celebrating not just the rise of a brilliant officer but the validation of hard work, discipline and patriotism that Major General Utsaha has come to embody.
Benue’s newest Major General has indeed made the state proud, and the entire Tiv, Idoma and Igede nation joins in saying: Congratulations, sir!
