Major General Paul C. Tarfa CON
Commandant of the Nigerian Defence Academy
In office January 1984 – December 1985
Preceded by	Brig-Gen Abdullahi Shelleng
Succeeded by	Maj-Gen Peter Adomokai
Governor of Oyo State
In office July 1978 – October 1979
Preceded by	David Jemibewon
Succeeded by	Bola Ige
Personal details
Born	(1941-08-06) 6 August 1941 (age 82) Garkida, Northern Region, British Nigeria (now in Adamawa State, Nigeria)
Alma mater	Nigerian Defence Academy Royal Canadian School of Infantry
Military service
Allegiance	Nigeria
Branch/service	Nigerian Army
Years of service	1962–1988
Rank	Major General

Paul Chabri Tarfa^[1] CON (born 6 August 1941) is a retired Nigerian army major general who was appointed Governor of Oyo State, during the military regime of General Olusegun Obasanjo, handing over to the elected civilian governor Bola Ige.^[2][3]

Early life

He was appointed commandant of the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna.^[4] Under the military rule of General Murtala Mohammed (July 1975 – February 1976), Lieutenant-Colonel Tarfa became provost marshal general and was responsible, reporting to General Theophilus Danjuma, for the clean-up campaign in the four divisions of the army. He was then given the almost impossible task of reducing traffic congestion in Lagos.^[5] He was appointed Governor of Oyo State from July 1978 to October 1979.^[2] When Ernest Shonekan came to power in November 1993, the Federal Government set up the Major-General Paul Tarfa Panel to undertake a one-year probe of the activities of the Nigeria Customs Service.^[6]