President Bola Tinubu has appointed Major General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede as the acting Chief of Army Staff.
This was disclosed in a statement on Wednesday by the presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga.
He said Oluyede will hold sway as the COAS pending the return of Lt. General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja, who is said to be indisposed and is receiving treatment abroad.
“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),” the statement read.
“Oluyede will act in the position pending the return of the indisposed substantive Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja.”
Until his appointment, Oluyede served as the 56th Commander of the elite Infantry Corps of the Nigerian Army, based in Jaji, Kaduna.
The 56-year-old Oluyede and Lagbaja were coursemates and members of the 39th Regular Course.
He was commissioned a second lieutenant in 1992, effective from 1987. He rose to Major-General in September 2020.
Oluyede has held many commands since his commissioning as an officer. He was Platoon Commander and adjutant at 65 Battalion, Company Commander at 177 Guards Battalion, Staff Officer Guards Brigade, Commandant Amphibious Training School.
General Oluyede participated in several 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 27 Task Force Brigade.
Oluyede has earned many honours for his meritorious service in various fields of operations. These include the Corps Medal of Honour, the Grand Service Star, Passing the Staff Course, and Membership in the National Institute.
Death rumours
Few days ago, several reports emerged after former presidential aide and social media commentator, Jackson Ude, claimed that that Lagbaja had died of cancer.
“The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, has died. Lagbaja died in an undisclosed hospital overseas nearly 48 hours ago from stage three cancer, according to a senior government official,” the post read.
“The death of the Chief of Army Staff has been kept secret due to intense lobbying by some generals who wish to take the position.
“Lagbaja, born on 28 February 1968 in Ilobu, Osun State, was appointed by President Bola Tinubu in June 2023 as the 27th Chief of Army Staff.”
This forced the army authorities to debunk the report on October 20, describing it as fake news.
Army spokesman, Onyema Nwachukwu, had clarified that Lagbaja is on official leave, and necessary protocols have been put in place for the Chief of Policy and Plans (Army), Major General Abdulsalami Ibrahim, to act on behalf of the COAS during his absence.
Nwachukwu, a major general, emphasised that Lagbaja’s absence is not affecting the operations of the service.
“There have even been insinuations that there is a leadership vacuum, with officers confused about what to do. Nothing could be further from the truth,” he said.
“To be very clear, the Nigerian Army is a highly structured establishment with well-laid-out procedures and processes for dealing with different circumstances. Before proceeding on leave, necessary protocols were put in place for the Chief of Policy and Plans (Army), Major General Abdulsalami Bagudu Ibrahim, to act on behalf of the COAS while he was away.
“This is not peculiar to the NA, as there have been instances where unforeseen human frailty kept service chiefs away for about three months, and their Chiefs of Policy and Plans held sway in their absence. Claims of a leadership vacuum in the NA at present are therefore mere speculation, as all routine and scheduled activities of the service are on course.”
The army spokesman said all routine and scheduled activities of the service are on course, adding that the appropriate departmental chiefs are fully carrying out their responsibilities in line with the COAS directives.
DHQ debunks death rumours
Similarly, the Defence Headquarters said that there was never an appointment of an acting Chief of Army Staff (COAS) to replace Taoreed Lagbaja, who it said is on annual leave.
Defence spokesman, Tukur Gusau, in a statement on October 21, also issued a warning to those calling for a military coup, describing it as a treasonable offence under the law.
“The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) wishes to clarify that it has not announced the appointment of any senior officer as the acting Chief of Army Staff (COAS), contrary to speculation by certain media outlets. For the record, no such appointment exists within the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN).
“The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, is currently on a well-deserved rest as part of his 2024 annual leave. The AFN is professionally managed and all the Service Chiefs are performing their duties as stipulated in the Constitution of the FGN. Major General Abdulsalam Bagudu Ibrahim, the Chief of Policy and Plans, is providing routine briefs to the COAS in accordance with standard military procedures.”
Gusau, a Brigadier General, also called on individuals spreading unfounded rumours to desist from doing so immediately.
He explained that Lagbaja is hale and hearty and will soon resume normal duties at the end of his leave.
