Jos Army Div. to bury Octopus logo

The GOC who disclosed this at the closing ceremony of the 2010 3rd Armoured Division Warrants Officers and Senior Non Commission Officers Competition held at the Maxwell Khobe Cantonment Barrack in Jos said the new logo would be changed from the usual Octopus to a Rhinoceros logo which is more compatible with the division.

“Let me use this forum to intimate our invited guests and friends that the 3rd Armoured Division has changed its logo from yellow over red to red over yellow on the background and the Octopus which is a marine creature has been replaced with a Rhinoceros which has similar characteristics with the tanks, tanks being the main equipment of armour formations.”

He added that plans were in top gear to hold “a very memorable ceremony to bury the Octopus and unveil the new logo which has the Rhinoceros and the Commander in Chief is expected to preside over the important ceremony in the history of not just the division but the Nigerian Army.”

The Octopus according to Gen. Maina, was adopted on the logo of 3 Division at the inception of the Division then called 3 Marine Commando in 1967 under Colonel Benjamin Adekunle when the Division was operating in the creeks of the Niger Delta by the federal troops to contain the Biafran troops in the sea.

He added that the Division was later moved to Jos in 1975, “And since then it metamorphosed into an Armoured Division, and you know the main equipment of armour is the tank which is land equipment and that is why we adopted the creature on the logo that operates on land which has similar characteristics with the tank.”

Speaking on the competition which had participants from the different formations that encompassed the Division, the GOC said it was mainly organized to prepare the participants in physical fitness and mental abilities.

The formations were tested in obstacle crossing, map reading, combat swimming, weapon handling as well as drilling exercise where the 3rd Division Garrison emerged over all winner.