BACKGROUND

 

1. Air Vice Marshal Gabriel Adebayo Kehinde was born on 24
March 1970 at Ikpe Annang in Essien Udim LGA of Akwa Ibom State to Late Captain and Mrs JKAdesina. He hails from Erigbo in Ijebu North East Local Government Area of Ogun State. He attended Army Children Schools, Lagos, Zaria and Ibadan between 1976 and 1982 before proceeding to Eleyele High School, Ibadan from 1982-1987. He joined the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1989 as a member of the 41st Regular Course and commissioned into the NAF as a Pilot Officer on 17 September 1994.

 

2.​Air Vice Marshal Kehinde has attended several courses, among which are; Ab Initio Flying Training at 301 Flying Training School, Basic Armament Officers’ Course at Air Force Institute of Technology, Kaduna, Type-rating course on Alpha Jet Armament systems and the PL-9CMissile Course in China. He attended Jnr and Snr Staff Courses at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College in 2002 and 2005. Between 2016 and 2017, the senior officer was a Participant at the National Defence College Abuja.

4.​Air Vice Marshal Kehinde holds a BSc degree in Biological Sciences from the Nigerian Defence Academy, Masters International Law and Diplomacy from the University of Jos (2001), Master of Arts in Conflict, Security and Development from the Department of PeaceStudies, University of Bradford UK (2012), MSc Security and Strategic Studies from University of Ibadan & PhD in security and strategic studies.

 

5.​The senior officer has the following medals and awards. Forces Service Star, Meritorious Service Star, Distinguished Service Star, General Service Star, Fellow Air War College (daggered) and Command Medal of Honour awards. He is also a member of the Nigerian Institute of Management and an associate member of the Nigerian Society of International Affairs, among other professional bodies.

 

6. ​Adebayo’s first posting was to 3 Armament Maintenance Centre (AMC) Kainji, where he served as Administrative Officer and later Officer Commanding Flight Line Services from 1994 to 1997. He served as an Instructor at Air Force Military School, Jos, between 1997 and 1999. After the completion of his Snr Course in 2006, he was posted again to 3 Armament Maintenance Centre Kainji, where he served as Commanding Officer. He was also the Command Armament Officer at Headquarters Logistics Command Lagos in 2008 and later Commanding Officer 1 Armament Maintenance Centre Makurdi in 2009. Between 2011 and 2014, he was a Directing Staff at the Senior Course in Armed Forces Command and Staff College and headed the Works Production Centre of Armed Forces Command and Staff College. From the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, he was posted to the Air Warfare Centre, where he served as a Directing Staff from 2014 to 2015, after which he returned to the Armed Forces Command and Staff College as a Chief Instructor, both at the Department of Air Warfare and Department of Joint Studies. In 2017, he was posted to the Defence Industry Corporation of Nigeria as the Director of Production and in July 2018 to 633 Central Armament Depot, Makurdi as Commander. In February 2019, the Snr offr was posted to the National Defence College as a Directing Staff and subsequently appointed as the Director of Information Communication andTechnology in January 2020. He was later posted to Air Force War College as the Director of Studies before his posting to HQ NAF as Director of Armament. He also served as the 6th Commandant of Air Force War College       in 2023.

 

7.​In February 2025, he was appointed as Deputy Commandant of Air Force Institute of Technology and later served as the Director General Air Force Research and Development Institute Osogbo a position he held before his current role as the Air Officer Commanding Ground Training Command.

8.​Air Vice Marshal AG Kehinde enjoys playing Lawn Tennis, Badminton and Table Tennis. He is married to Mrs Cynthia Kehinde, and the union is blessed with children.