President Bola Tinubu has appointed Major General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede as Acting Chief of Army Staff (COAS). This was announced in a statement on Wednesday by presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga, noting that Oluyede’s appointment is in effect while Lt. General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja, the substantive Chief of Army Staff, receives medical treatment abroad.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, has appointed Major General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede as Acting Chief of Army Staff (COAS),” the statement read. “Oluyede will serve in this capacity until the return of Lt. General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja.”

Until his appointment, Oluyede was the 56th Commander of the Nigerian Army’s elite Infantry Corps, headquartered in Jaji, Kaduna. Oluyede, aged 56, and Lagbaja were coursemates and both graduated from the Nigerian Defence Academy’s 39th Regular Course. Commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1992 with an effective start date of 1987, Oluyede was promoted to the rank of Major General in September 2020.

Throughout his career, Oluyede has held various command roles, including Platoon Commander, Adjutant at the 65 Battalion, and Company Commander at the 177 Guards Battalion. He also served as Staff Officer at the Guards Brigade and as Commandant of the Amphibious Training School. He has participated in multiple operations, including the ECOMOG Mission in Liberia, Operation Harmony IV in Bakassi, and Operation Hadin Kai in the North East, where he commanded the 27 Task Force Brigade.

Oluyede has received numerous honours for his exemplary service, including the Corps Medal of Honour, the Grand Service Star, and Membership in the National Institute.

Recently, rumours surfaced following a claim by former presidential aide Jackson Ude that Lt. General Lagbaja had passed away from cancer in a foreign hospital. “The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, has died from stage-three cancer in an undisclosed overseas hospital,” Ude’s post alleged, also suggesting that some officers were already lobbying for his role.

This prompted the Nigerian Army to clarify on 20 October that Lagbaja is on official leave and that there is no leadership vacuum. Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, the Army’s spokesperson, reiterated that proper protocols were established for Major General Abdulsalami Ibrahim, Chief of Policy and Plans (Army), to act in Lagbaja’s stead.

Nwachukwu stressed that the Nigerian Army remains structured with protocols in place to ensure continuity. “The Nigerian Army is a highly organised establishment with robust procedures for various scenarios,” he said. “Before his leave, necessary protocols were in place for Major General Abdulsalami Ibrahim to act on behalf of the COAS. Claims of a leadership vacuum are therefore unfounded, as all routine and scheduled activities are on course.”