Kehinde Fajobi
President Bola Tinubu has appointed Major General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede as the acting Chief of Army Staff.
This was announced in a statement by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga on Wednesday, who clarified that Oluyede will serve in this capacity until Lt. General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja, currently undergoing medical treatment abroad, returns.
The statement read, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, has appointed Major General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede as the acting Chief of Army Staff (COAS),
“Oluyede will act in the position pending the return of the indisposed substantive Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja.”
Oluyede, aged 56, was previously the 56th Commander of the elite Infantry Corps of the Nigerian Army in Jaji, Kaduna.
A member of the 39th Regular Course alongside Lagbaja, Oluyede was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1992, with service dating back to 1987, and rose to the rank of Major-General in September 2020.
Throughout his career, Oluyede has held numerous key positions, including Platoon Commander and adjutant at 65 Battalion, Company Commander at 177 Guards Battalion, Staff Officer with the Guards Brigade, and Commandant at the Amphibious Training School.
He has also served in various operations, such as the ECOMOG Mission in Liberia, Operation HARMONY IV in Bakassi, and Operation HADIN KAI in Nigeria’s North East, where he commanded the 27 Task Force Brigade.
Oluyede’s service has earned him multiple honours, including the Corps Medal of Honour, Grand Service Star, and a membership in the National Institute.