With Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Lagbaja undergoing treatment abroad, President Tinubu names Maj. Gen. Olufemi Oluyede as acting Army leader to maintain military stability
In response to pressing health concerns surrounding Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja, President Tinubu appoints Maj. Gen. Oluyede as acting Army Chief. This strategic decision ensures continuity and stability within the Nigerian Army during Lagbaja’s temporary absence. The Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed this in a formal announcement, revealing Oluyede’s new role in the military leadership.
Before his appointment as acting Chief of Army Staff, Maj. Gen. Oluyede served as the 56th Commander of the elite Infantry Corps at Jaji, Kaduna. His extensive career began when he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1992, later advancing to the rank of Major-General in 2020. Tinubu appoints Maj. Gen. Oluyede as acting Army Chief to provide experienced leadership, given his wide-ranging expertise in various roles, including Platoon Commander, adjutant, and Company Commander within the Guards Brigade.
Oluyede’s operational experience is both comprehensive and strategic, encompassing critical assignments such as his work with the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) in Liberia, Operation HARMONY IV in Bakassi, and his leadership of the 27 Task Force Brigade in the North East during Operation HADIN KAI. With Tinubu appointing Maj. Gen. Oluyede as acting Army Chief, his track record assures the military’s functionality as Lagbaja recovers.
Lt. Gen. Lagbaja, who took office as Chief of Army Staff in June 2023, was reportedly flown abroad earlier this month for medical treatment after an extended period of health challenges. His absence stirred some concern within the military hierarchy, where Tinubu’s decision to appoint Maj. Gen. Oluyede as acting Army Chief is seen as a stabilizing move amid reports of internal lobbying among military officers seeking higher positions.
As confirmed by sources, Tinubu’s appointment of Maj. Gen. Oluyede as acting Army Chief aligns with the need for consistent leadership while Lt. Gen. Lagbaja receives necessary medical care. His career, which spans over three decades, has seen him take on vital roles in various military operations and lead missions aimed at maintaining regional stability and national security.
Sources close to the matter revealed that Lagbaja’s condition required immediate attention, with a family-arranged transfer to a medical facility outside Nigeria. Amidst speculations about his health and potential plans to step down, Tinubu’s decision to appoint Maj. Gen. Oluyede as acting Army Chief reassures both the military and the public of ongoing stability within the army’s high command.
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