President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Major General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede as the Acting Chief of Army Staff. This announcement was made on Wednesday in a statement by presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga.
According to Onanuga, Major General Oluyede will assume the role temporarily while the current Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja, receives medical treatment abroad.
The statement read: “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). Oluyede will act in the position pending the return of the indisposed substantive Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja.”
Before this appointment, Oluyede served as the 56th Commander of the Nigerian Army’s elite Infantry Corps based in Jaji, Kaduna. At 56, he shares a longstanding professional bond with Lt. General Lagbaja, as both officers are members of the 39th Regular Course, commissioned in 1987. Oluyede rose to the rank of Major General in September 2020.
Major General Oluyede’s distinguished career spans various command and staff roles. He began as a Platoon Commander and Adjutant with the 65 Battalion, later advancing to Company Commander at the 177 Guards Battalion, and eventually serving as a Staff Officer at the Guards Brigade and Commandant of the Amphibious Training School. His operational experience includes participation in the ECOMOG mission in Liberia, Operation HARMONY IV in Bakassi, and Operation HADIN KAI in the Northeast, where he led the 27 Task Force Brigade.
Throughout his service, Oluyede has been recognized with multiple honors, including the Corps Medal of Honour, the Grand Service Star, and the Passed Staff Course (PSC) badge. He is also a member of the prestigious National Institute, reflecting his dedicated contributions to national security and professional excellence.
