President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed General Officer Commanding 1 Division of the Nigerian Army, Kaduna, Major General Farouk Yahaya, as Nigeria’s new Chief of Army Staff.
Buhari’s appointment of Yahaya as new COAS confirmed Wednesday’s FirstNews’ exclusive story titled, “Attahiru: Presidency zeroes in on five top Army generals for new COAS.”
FirstNews had in the exclusive story listed Yahaya as one of the Army generals being considered for the top military job.
FirstNews had also reported that President Buhari was expected to announce the new COAS any moment from Wednesday (yesterday).
Yahaya, until his appointment, was also the incumbent Theatre Commander of the Counter terrorism Counter Insurgency military outfit in the North East, code-named Operation HADIN KAI.
Buhari appointed Yahaya to replace the late COAS, Lt Gen Ibrahim Attahiru, who died in a plane crash in Kaduna along with 10 other military officers last Friday.
Already, the Nigerian Army Headquarters has confirmed Yahaya’s the appointment as new COAS.
His appointment was confirmed in a statement by the Director of Defence Information, Brigadier-General Onyema Nwachukwu, on Thursday.
According to the statement, “The Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Mohammadu Buhari has appointed Major General Farouk Yahaya as the new Chief of Army Staff.
“Prior to his appointment Major General Yahaya was the General Officer Commanding 1 Division of the Nigerian Army and the incumbent Theatre Commander of the Counter terrorism Counter Insurgency military outfit in the North East code-named Operation HADIN KAI.”