- No military base was taken over by bandits in Niger, DHQ replies lawmaker
Chidimma Uchegbu – Abuja
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, has appointed Major General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede as the acting Chief of Army Staff (COAS).
Oluyede will act in the position pending the return of the indisposed substantive Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Taoreed Abiodun 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.
This was contained in a statement by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President
(Information & Strategy) Oluyede was commissioned a second lieutenant in 1992, effective from 1987. He rose to Major-General in September 2020.
Oluyede has held many command positions 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, Commandant Amphibious Training School.
General Oluyede 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.
Meanwhile, the Defence Headquarters had dismissed the claim by the Niger House of Assembly that the Nigerian Army Training Camp in Kotangora has been taken over by bandits/terrorists.
The Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Edward Buba, in a statement on Wednesday, said, “no inch of the training area has been ceded to the terrorists.
“Firstly, this headquarters seize the opportunity to unequivocally state that, this allegation is incorrect and in accurate with realities on the ground.
“While, it is understanding that troops have recorded encounters with terrorists in the course of operating in the general area.No inch of the training area has been ceded to the terrorist,” he said.
Buba said troops had constantly eliminated the threat posed by terrorist crisscrossing the vast area, adding that their clearance operations in the area had denied the terrorist freedom of action.
He clarified that the ongoing operations, particularly in Niger was targeted at terrorists, saying it was erroneous for such threats to be described in any other form other than terrorism.
According to him, the military is working closely with the Niger State Government to ensure improved security in the state and for the citizens.
“Our troops are not relenting at ensuring total destruction of these terrorists wherever they maybe hiding,” he added.
