The Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Mohammadu Buhari has appointed Major General Farouk Yahaya as the new Chief of Army Staff (COAS).
This is contained in a statement signed by the acting director, Defence Information, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu
News Live Nigeria learnt that prior to his appointment Major General Yahaya was the General Officer Commanding 1 Division of the Nigerian Army and the incumbent Theatre Commander of the Counter terrorism Counter Insurgency military outfit in the North East code named Operation HADIN KAI.
NLN recalls that former Nigeria’s army chief, Lt-Gen Ibrahim Attahiru, died in a plane crash in the north-western state of Kaduna.
The incident happened as the plane was trying to land in bad weather, the military said. Ten other officers, including the plane’s crew also died.
Gen Attahiru, 54, only took up his post in January in an overhaul of the military’s top brass.