Acting Chief of Army Staff assumes office

The Acting Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Olufemi Oluyede, a major general, assumed office at the Army Headquarters, Abuja, on 1 November.

The army spokesperson, Onyema Nwachukwu, disclosed this in a statement on Friday.

Mr Nwachukwu, a major general, said the new acting army chief was appointed by President Bola Tinubu pending the return of the substantive COAS, Taoreed Lagbaja, a lieutenant general, who is on medical leave.

PREMIUM TIMES had earlier reported that Mr Lagbaja has been indisposed for a few weeks and is reportedly receiving treatment abroad.

However, the army claimed that he was on leave and that his absence did not leave any vacuum in the army’s supervision.

Following this, the president appointed the acting COAS on 30 October to preside over the office pending Mr Lagbaja’s recovery.

Brief ceremony

During the formal taking-over ceremony at the army headquarters in Abuja, according to Mr Nwachukwu, the Chief of Defence Staff, Christopher Musa, emphasised that the appointment of the acting Chief was in accordance with the Armed Force Act of 2004.

Mr Musa, a general, reminded all field commanders of President Tinubu’s mandate to the Armed Forces and the tasks at hand, urging them not to relent in guaranteeing national security and the safety of all Nigerians.

In his remarks, the acting Chief of Army Staff, Mr Oluyede, expressed gratitude to Mr Tinubu for finding him worthy of the appointment and prayed for the speedy recuperation of Mr Lagbaja.

“The Ag COAS solicited support from all personnel of the Armed Forces and Nigerians in general in tackling the security challenges bedevilling the country. He pledged his loyalty to the Commander In Chief of the Armed Forces and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

“Highlight of the event was the formal handover of Army Command flag by the CDS, General Christopher Musa to the acting Chief of Army Staff,” the statement read.

Read the army’s full statement below:

ACTING CHIEF OF ARMY STAFF MAJOR GENERAL OLUFEMI OLUYEDE ASSUMES DUTY

The Acting Chief of Army Staff (Ag COAS), Major General Olufemi Oluyede, today, Friday, 1st November 2024, assumed duties at the Army Headquarters, Abuja.

The acting COAS was appointed by the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday, 30 October 2024, pending the return of the substantive COAS, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, who is currently on medical leave.

At the formal taking-over ceremony at the Defence Headquarters, Abuja, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, emphasized that the appointment aligns with the Armed Forces Act of 2004.

General Musa reminded all field commanders of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s mandate to the Armed Forces and the tasks at hand. He urged the commanders not to relent in guaranteeing national security and the safety of all Nigerians.

In his remarks, the acting Chief of Army Staff, Major General Olufemi Oluyede, expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for finding him worthy of the appointment and prayed for the speedy recuperation of the COAS, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja.

The Ag COAS solicited support from all personnel of the Armed Forces and Nigerians, in general in tackling the security challenges bedevilling the country. He pledged his loyalty to the Commander In Chief of the Armed Forces and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The highlight of the event was the formal handover of the Army Command flag by the CDS, General Christopher Musa, to the acting Chief of Army Staff.

Until his appointment, Major General Olufemi Oluyede served as the 56th Commander of the Infantry Corps of the Nigerian Army in Jaji, Kaduna.

A member of the 39th Regular Combatant Course of the prestigious Nigerian Defence Academy, Major General Oluyede was commissioned into the Nigerian Army as a Second Lieutenant in 1992 and rose steadily to the enviable rank of Major General in September 2020. His illustrious career traverses various command, staff and instructional appointments such as Platoon Commander, Adjutant, Company Commander, Brigade commander, and General Officer Commanding, among several other appointments.

He has participated in several operations, including the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) Mission, Operation HARMONY IV in Bakassi and Operation HADIN KAI in the North East theatre of operations.

Major General Olufemi Oluyede also earned several honours and awards for his meritorious service in diverse fields of operation.

ONYEMA NWACHUKWU

Major General

Director Army Public Relations