President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Major General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede as the acting Chief of Army Staff (COAS).
This decision was announced in a statement on Wednesday by Bayo Onanuga, the presidential spokesman.
General Oluyede’s appointment is pending the return of the substantive COAS, Lt. General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja, who is currently receiving medical treatment abroad.
“Oluyede will act in the position pending the return of the indisposed substantive Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja,” the statement read.
Prior to this appointment, Oluyede served as the 56th Commander of the elite Infantry Corps of the Nigerian Army, based in Jaji, Kaduna.
The 56-year-old general and Lagbaja are coursemates from the 39th Regular Course. Oluyede was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1992, with an effective date from 1987, and rose to the rank of Major-General in September 2020.
Oluyede has held multiple command positions throughout his career, including Platoon Commander and Adjutant at the 65 Battalion, Company Commander at the 177 Guards Battalion, Staff Officer for the Guards Brigade, and Commandant of the Amphibious Training School.
His operational experience includes participation in the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) Mission in Liberia, Operation HARMONY IV in Bakassi, and Operation HADIN KAI in the North East, where he commanded the 27 Task Force Brigade.
Onanuga noted that General Oluyede has received numerous honors for his service, including the Corps Medal of Honour, the Grand Service Star, and the Chief of Army Staff Commendation Award.
On Sunday, October 20, 2024, there were false reports circulating in the media about Lt. General Lagbaja’s death.
The Defence Headquarters quickly debunked these claims, stating on October 21 that no such appointment for an acting Chief of Army Staff existed within the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
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Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, Acting Director of Defence Information, confirmed that the Chief of Defence Staff had spoken with the COAS shortly before the statement was made.
Several reports had gone viral on social media, claiming that Lagbaja had died of cancer.
The post alleged that he had passed away in an undisclosed hospital overseas. However, sources at the Army Headquarters clarified that Lagbaja was critically ill but not deceased.
One source stated, “COAS is not dead. He is only critically ill at the moment.
We should be praying for him at this critical time and not spreading rumors that he died.”
Another source added, “He is out of the country for treatment. And I have not heard of his death from anyone around him. There is no way such information could be hidden.”
As the acting COAS, Major General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede is expected to navigate the challenges facing the Nigerian Army until Lt. General Lagbaja’s return.
