Tinubu Appoints Maj-Gen Oluyede Acting Army Chief, Assures of Enhanced Security

*Kebbi senators laud president for inaugurating 48-year-old Sokoto-Badagry road

*FG partners IMCTC to tackle terrorism, other crimes 

Deji Elumoye and Linus Aleke in Abuja  

President Bola Tinubu has appointed Major General Olufemi Oluyede as Acting Chief of Army Staff (COAS).

Tinubu also assured Nigerians of enhanced security.

According to a release by Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy,  Bayo Onanuga, Oluyede would act in the position, pending the return of the indisposed substantive Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Taoreed Lagbaja.

Until his appointment, Oluyede served as the 56th Commander of the elite Infantry Corps of the Nigerian Army, based in Jaji, Kaduna.

The 56-year-old Oluyede and Lagbaja were course mates and members of the 39th Regular Course.

He was commissioned as Second Lieutenant in 1992, effective from 1987. He rose to Major-General in September 2020.

Oluyede has headed many commands since his commissioning as an officer. He was Platoon Commander and adjutant at 65 Battalion, Company Commander at 177 Guards Battalion, Staff Officer Guards Brigade, and Commandant, Amphibious Training School.

He participated in several operations, including the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) Mission in Liberia, Operation HARMONY IV in Bakassi, and Operation HADIN KAI in the North East theatre of operations, where he commanded 27 Task Force Brigade. 

Oluyede has earned many honours for his meritorious service in various fields of operations. These include the Corps Medal of Honour, the Grand Service Star, Passing the Staff Course, and Membership in the National Institute. 

Others are the Field Command Medal, the Field Command Medal of Honour, and the Field Training Medal. 

Oluyede also received the coveted Chief of Army Staff Commendation Award. He is married and has three children. 

A member of the National Assembly, Senator Adamu Aliero, said the security challenges in Kebbi State had reduced significantly.

Aliero stressed that following infiltration of bandits from Kebbi South and Kebbi North disturbing the farming activities, there was an urgent need for more efforts by the federal government to completely rid neighbouring states of the criminals’ activities.

He stated, “The insecurity situation in Kebbi State is not bad, but in Kebbi South, because of proximity to Niger and also Zamfara, we have infiltration of bandits going to disturb farmers in Kebbi South and equally in Kebbi North, because of nearness to Sokoto East, we have infiltration of bandits coming to disturb our farmers, that’s why we are worried that more needs to be done to move them out of these two places. 

“So, Mr. President has assured us that more measures will be taken to ensure security of lives on property, not only in Kebbi, but the whole of Nigeria.

“We need security to be beefed up in that area because this is harvesting period, we don’t want farmers to be harassed. We want farmers to have good harvest. 

“As you all know, there is bumper harvest this year and we don’t want a situation where bandits will come and start burning crops that will be an exercise in futility if it happens.” 

The ranking senator further disclosed that the three senators from Kebbi State also visited Tinubu to express their appreciation to him on the flag-off of the Sokoto-Badagry expressway which, he said, successive governments had ignored for 48 years.

He stated, “We’re at the Presidential Villa on a friendly visit, to express our deep and profound appreciation to Mr. President for flagging off the Sokoto-Badagry Road. 

“This is a road that has been on the drawing board for the last 48 years, successive administrations have failed to do it and the president has taken the bull by the horns by not only unveiling the construction of this road, but also flagging it off within a very short period of time.” 

Meanwhile, the federal government, yesterday, expressed its readiness to partner the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to strengthen the war against terrorism and free Nigeria and the world from terrorists and other non-state armed groups.

The government also reiterated its commitment to the war against terrorism and other organised crimes threatening humanity.

Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru, restated the commitment when the National Coordinator of the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Major General Adamu Garba Laka, led Secretary General of IMCTC, Major General Mohammed Bin Saeed Al-Moghedi, to the Ministry of Defence on a courtesy call to the minister.

A statement by Head, Strategic Communications, National Counter Terrorism Centre, ONSA, Abu Michael, said the minister urged the IMCTC leadership to work closely with the NCTC to the counter terrorism efforts, while pledging the support of his ministry to all counter terrorism efforts.

He also pledged to discuss with the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, to reactivate the deployment of officers of the Nigerian military to the IMCTC and other training programmes designed to boost the existing relationship between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia.  

Abu said Laka led the IMCTC delegation to a meeting with the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu; Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa; and Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major General Emmanuel Undiandeye.

He said the interaction with service chiefs was part of the strategic engagement towards aggregating holistic actions against terrorism and activities of non-state armed groups.