President Bola Tinubu has appointed Major General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede as the acting Chief of Army Staff (COAS), following the medical leave of Lt. General Taoreed Lagbaja, the current Chief of Army Staff. Amid circulating rumors regarding Lagbaja’s condition.
This interim appointment was confirmed on Wednesday, October 30, 2024, by Tinubu’s spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga.
The statement reads: “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, pending the return of the indisposed substantive Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja.”
Before this appointment, Major General Oluyede served as the 56th Commander of the Nigerian Army’s Infantry Corps, stationed in Jaji, Kaduna. Aged 56, Oluyede has had a distinguished military career alongside his coursemate Lagbaja, both having graduated from the Nigerian Defence Academy’s 39th Regular Course. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1992 (effective from 1987) and rose to the rank of Major-General in 2020.
With a wealth of experience across key command roles, Oluyede has served as Platoon Commander, Company Commander, and Staff Officer for the Guards Brigade, as well as Commandant of the Amphibious Training School. His operational experience spans missions in Liberia, Bakassi, and Nigeria’s North East, where he led the 27 Task Force Brigade under Operation HADIN KAI.
Oluyede’s service has been widely recognized with numerous honors, including the Corps Medal of Honour, the Grand Service Star, and completion of the Nigerian Army Staff Course, in addition to his membership in the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies.
