President Bola Tinubu has appointed Major General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede as the acting Chief of Army Staff (COAS), a role he will occupy pending the return of the indisposed substantive Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja. The announcement was made in a statement signed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the President.
Prior to this appointment, Oluyede served as the 56th Commander of the elite Infantry Corps of the Nigerian Army, stationed in Jaji, Kaduna. Aged 56, Oluyede shares a close professional connection with Lt. Gen. Lagbaja, as both are members of the Nigerian Defence Academy’s 39th Regular Course. He was initially commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1992, with a retroactive effect from 1987, and rose to the rank of Major-General in September 2020.
Throughout his distinguished career, Oluyede has held several key command roles within the Nigerian Army. His leadership experience includes positions as Platoon Commander and adjutant at the 65 Battalion, Company Commander at the 177 Guards Battalion, Staff Officer in the Guards Brigade, and Commandant of the Amphibious Training School.
In addition to his extensive domestic service, General Oluyede has participated in significant regional operations, including the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) Mission in Liberia. He also served in Operation HARMONY IV in Bakassi and commanded the 27 Task Force Brigade in Operation HADIN KAI in Nigeria’s North East.
This appointment places Oluyede in a pivotal role during a critical period for the Nigerian military, as he brings a wealth of experience in strategic military operations and command leadership.