The Nigerian Army performed a symbolic lowering and hoisting of the command flag at Army Headquarters on Monday, marking the official assumption of command by Lt.-Gen. Olufemi Oluyede as the 24th Chief of Army Staff.
Oluyede’s appointment was confirmed by the Senate and House of Representatives after he was initially appointed in an acting capacity by President Bola Tinubu on October 30, following the death of his predecessor, Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja.
Oluyede has pledged to adopt an inclusive leadership approach, fostering a collaborative and effective army capable of addressing the nation’s security challenges.
He pointed out the importance of innovation in providing security solutions and urged commanders to think creatively and develop novel strategies to combat emerging threats.
The new Chief of Army Staff also said he was committed to providing troops with the necessary support and morale to end terrorism and insurgency in Nigeria.
Prior to his appointment, Oluyede had served as the 56th Commander of the elite Infantry Corps of the Nigerian Army, based in Jaji, Kaduna.
He and his predecessor, Lt.-Gen. Lagbaja, were coursemates and members of the 39th Regular Course of the Nigerian Defence Academy. Oluyede was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1992 and rose to major general in September 2020.
Persecondnews recalls that in November, Oluyede was appointed Acting Chief of Army Staff, the first officer to be so appointed in that capacity in the history of the Nigerian Army.
President Bola Tinubu had appointed Oluyede, pending when the late COAS, Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, returns from medical leave.
Lagbaja was away on medical leave for about a month in an undisclosed hospital abroad and is said to be recuperating.
He was appointed COAS by President Bola Tinubu on June 19, 2023.
On October 20, the army dismissed rumours that Lagbaja had passed on, adding that the army chief was undergoing medical treatment abroad.
On October 30, Tinubu appointed Oluyede as the acting COAS.
On November 5, the president decorated Oluyede with a new rank of lieutenant-general.
In a statement on November 6, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, special adviser on information and strategy to the president, said Lagbaja “passed away on Tuesday night in Lagos after a period of illness.”.
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