Acting army chief assumes duties today

The acting Chief of Army Staff, Olufemi Oluyede, a Major-General will assume duties today, Friday, November 1, 2024.

The ceremony, which is expected to be brief, will hold at the Defence Headquarters, Abuja. 

Daily Trust reports that Oluyede was appointed by President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday in an acting capacity pending the return of Taoreed Lagbaja, who is presently indisposed. 

His appointment came a few days after the Defence Headquarters claimed that the appointment of an acting Chief of Army Staff was alien to the military according to its Harmonised Armed Forces Act. 

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It specifically said the Chief of Policy and Plans, Abdulsalam Ibrahim, a Major-General, has been providing routine briefs to the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja. 

However, in a formal notice signed by Chris Erondu, a Group Captain on behalf of the Director of Defence Information, Brig.-Gen. Tukur Gusau, the military said the handover ceremony would be held by 10 am. 

It partly read, “The formal taking over ceremony of the newly appointed acting Chief of Army Staff, Major General Olufemi Oluyede is scheduled for tomorrow.”