Acting COAS Maj Gen Olufemi Oluyede Assumes Duty

Major General Olufemi Oluyede officially takes over today (Friday) as the Acting Chief of Army Staff (COAS). President Bola Tinubu appointed Oluyede to this interim position, following the temporary unavailability of the current COAS, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja.

The appointment, however, came shortly after the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) emphasized that no “acting COAS” designation exists under the Harmonised Armed Forces Act. This clarification, issued on October 21 by the Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, responded to recent online reports, including claims from social media personality Jackson Ude that Lagbaja had passed away from cancer. The Nigerian Army promptly labeled these rumors as misinformation.

In a follow-up announcement on Thursday, Group Captain Chris Erondu, representing Brigadier General Gusau, confirmed a handover ceremony to be held at the Defence Headquarters conference room at 10 a.m. The statement outlined: “The formal handover to the newly appointed Acting Chief of Army Staff, Major General Olufemi Oluyede, is scheduled as follows: Date: 1 November 2024; Time: 1000 hrs; Venue: DHQ Conference Room, Abuja. Thank you for your cooperation.”