President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Major General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede as the acting Chief of Army Staff, COAS.
The appointment follows the absence of the substantive Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja, who is currently receiving medical treatment in the United States of America.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, confirmed the development.
“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),” the statement read.
“Oluyede will act in the position pending the return of the indisposed substantive Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja. Until his appointment, Oluyede served as the 56th Commander of the elite Infantry Corps of the Nigerian Army, based in Jaji, Kaduna,” Onanuga added.
Oluyede, 56, and Lagbaja were coursemates in the 39th Regular Course. Commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1992 with retroactive effect from 1987, Oluyede rose to the rank of Major General in September 2020.
He has held several command positions, including Platoon Commander at 65 Battalion, Company Commander at 177 Guards Battalion, and Commandant of the Amphibious Training School.
His operational experience includes participation in major missions such as the 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.
Oluyede has received numerous honours, including the Corps Medal of Honour, the Field Command Medal, and the Chief of Army Staff Commendation Award. He is married and has three children.
The acting appointment will remain in effect until Lagbaja is fit to resume his duties.
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