President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday appointed Major-General Farouk Yahaya as the new Chief of Army Staff.
Yahaya replaces former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Ibrahim Attahiru, who died in a plane crash six days ago. Other 10 officers lost their lives in the plane crash which occurred during a flight in military plane from Abuja to Kaduna.
It was the third air disaster this year for the military, which is fighting a decade-long insurgency in the North-East, kidnap gangs in the North-West and separatist agitations South-West and South-East
According to the statement, “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,” the statement added.
Major-General Yahaya’s appointment comes as the country continues to battle several security challenges, including but not limited to an insurgency in the North-East, banditry in the North-West, secessionist agitations in the South-East and Fulani-Herdsmen crises across the Middle-Belt and several South-West states.
His biodata ran by Channels TV website indicates that the new COAS was born on January 5, 1966, in Sifawa, Bodinga Local Government Area of Sokoto state.
He is a member of the 37 Regular Course of the prestigious Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA).
Major-General Yahaya started his cadet training on 27 September 1985 and was commissioned into the Nigerian Army Infantry Corps on 22 September 1990.
He has held several appointments including Staff, Instructional and Command.
Notable among the appointments held by the new COAS are Garrison Commander Headquarters Guards Brigade, Directing Staff at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC), Deputy Director Army Headquarters Department of Military Secretary, Deputy Director Army Research and Development and the Chief of Staff, Headquarters Joint Task Force Operation Pulo Shield
