In a recent appointment, President Tinubu has selected Oluyede to serve as the Acting Chief of Army Staff, initiating a new era for Nigeria’s military leadership.
Major General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede has been appointed by President Bola Tinubu as the acting Chief of Army Staff.
This information was revealed in a statement by Bayo Onanuga, the presidential spokesman, on Wednesday.
He mentioned that Oluyede will assume the role of COAS until Lt. General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja, who is reportedly unwell and undergoing treatment overseas, returns.
According to the statement, Major General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede has been appointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, as the acting Chief of Army Staff (COAS).
Oluyede will temporarily assume the role until Lt. General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja, the current Chief of Army Staff who is indisposed, returns.
Before his appointment, Oluyede was the 56th Commander of the esteemed Infantry Corps of the Nigerian Army stationed in Jaji, Kaduna.
Oluyede, aged 56, and Lagbaja were coursemates as part of the 39th Regular Course.
He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1992, with the rank backdated to 1987. He advanced to Major-General in September 2020.
Since his commissioning as an officer, Oluyede has held numerous positions. He served as a Platoon Commander and adjutant at the 65th Battalion, was Company Commander at the 177 Guards Battalion, worked as a Staff Officer in the Guards Brigade, and acted as Commandant of the Amphibious Training School.
General Oluyede took part in numerous operations, such as 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 theater. During these missions, he commanded the 27 Task Force Brigade.
Oluyede has received numerous accolades for his outstanding service across various operational sectors. Among these are the Corps Medal of Honour, the Grand Service Star, completion of the Staff Course, and Membership in the National Institute.
Rumors of Death
A few days ago, numerous reports surfaced following allegations by former presidential aide and social media commentator Jackson Ude that Lagbaja had passed away from cancer.
“The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, passed away nearly 48 hours ago in an undisclosed hospital abroad due to stage three cancer, according to a senior government official,” the post stated.
The passing of the Chief of Army Staff has been kept confidential due to strong lobbying efforts by certain generals vying for the position.
Lagbaja, who was born on February 28, 1968, in Ilobu, Osun State, was appointed as the 27th Chief of Army Staff by President Bola Tinubu in June 2023.
This compelled the army authorities to dismiss the report as fake news on October 20.
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Army spokesman Onyema Nwachukwu clarified that Lagbaja is on official leave. During his absence, Major General Abdulsalami Ibrahim, the Chief of Policy and Plans (Army), will act on behalf of the COAS with all necessary protocols in place.
Major General Nwachukwu emphasized that Lagbaja’s absence is not impacting the service’s operations.
“There have been suggestions of a leadership vacuum, leaving officers unsure about their roles. However, this is entirely untrue,” he stated.
To clarify, the Nigerian Army is a meticulously organized institution with established procedures and protocols for handling various situations. Prior to taking leave, all necessary arrangements were made for Major General Abdulsalami Bagudu Ibrahim, Chief of Policy and Plans (Army), to assume responsibilities on behalf of the COAS during his absence.
This situation isn’t unique to the NA, as there have been cases where unexpected human frailty has caused service chiefs to be absent for approximately three months, with their Chiefs of Policy and Plans taking charge during that time. Thus, any claims of a leadership vacuum in the current NA are purely speculative since all routine and scheduled activities within the service continue as planned.
According to the army spokesman, all routine and scheduled activities are proceeding as planned. He also mentioned that the relevant departmental chiefs are effectively fulfilling their responsibilities in accordance with the directives of the Chief of Army Staff.
DHQ Refutes Death Rumors
In a similar statement, the Defence Headquarters clarified that no acting Chief of Army Staff (COAS) was appointed to replace Taoreed Lagbaja, who is currently on annual leave.
In a statement on October 21, Defense spokesman Tukur Gusau warned that advocating for a military coup is considered a treasonable offense under the law.
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) wants to make it clear that there has been no announcement regarding the appointment of a senior officer as the acting Chief of Army Staff (COAS), despite what some media outlets have speculated. To be precise, this type of appointment does not exist within the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN).
Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, the Chief of Army Staff, is presently taking a well-deserved break as part of his 2024 annual leave. The Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) are being managed professionally, with all Service Chiefs fulfilling their constitutional duties for the Federal Government of Nigeria. Major General Abdulsalam Bagudu Ibrahim, who serves as the Chief of Policy and Plans, provides routine briefings to the COAS in line with standard military procedures.
Brigadier General Gusau also urged those disseminating baseless rumors to stop immediately.
He mentioned that Lagbaja is in good health and will return to his regular duties once his leave concludes.
