President Tinubu Appoints Major General Oluyede as Acting Chief of Army Staff
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). This appointment comes as Lt. General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja, the substantive Chief of Army Staff, is currently indisposed.
Major General Oluyede, 56, brings extensive experience to his new role, having served as the 56th Commander of the elite Infantry Corps of the Nigerian Army in Jaji, Kaduna. He and Lt. General Lagbaja were coursemates at the Nigerian Defence Academy, graduating in 1992. Oluyede was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1992, effective from 1987, and rose to the rank of Major-General in September 2020.
Throughout his distinguished military career, Oluyede has held various command positions, including Platoon Commander, Company Commander, Staff Officer Guards Brigade, and Commandant of the Amphibious Training School. He has also participated in several notable operations, including 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 theatre of operations, where he commanded the 27 Task Force Brigade.
Oluyede’s meritorious service has earned him numerous honors, including the Corps Medal of Honour, Grand Service Star, Passing the Staff Course, Membership in the National Institute, Field Command Medal, Field Command Medal of Honour, Field Training Medal, and the coveted Chief of Army Staff Commendation Award. He is married with three children.
