Major General, Olufemi Oluyede

Major General, Olufemi Oluyede, the newly appointed acting Chief of Army Staff, resumed duties today, Novermber 1.

Oluyede assumed the command as the Chief of Army Staff, pending the return of Major General Taoreed Lagbaja, who is currently indisposed.

While speaking in a video shared by TVC, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Christopher Musa, prayed for Lagbaja’s quick recovery and urged the military to continue carrying out its constitutional duties.

Recall that President Bola Tinubu appointed Oluyede on Wednesday as a temporary replacement for Lagbaja.

This appointment follows recent clarifications from the Defence Headquarters, which previously stated that the Armed Forces of Nigeria does not officially recognize an “acting” Chief of Army Staff under the Harmonised Armed Forces Act.

The Director of Defence Information, Brig. Gen. Tukur Gusau,  addressed the issue following social media reports claiming that Lagbaja had passed away, which the Army dismissed as false.

In a statement released Thursday, Group Captain Chris Erondu, on behalf of Brig. Gen. Gusau, confirmed that a formal handover ceremony would take place at the Defence Headquarters conference room at 10 a.m.

“The formal taking over ceremony of the newly appointed acting Chief of Army Staff, Major General Olufemi Oluyede, is scheduled for November 1, 2024, at the DHQ Conference Room, Abuja,” the notice read.

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