Nigeria's new army chief officially assumes duty

• Maj. Gen. Farouk Yahaya officially assumed duties as Nigeria's Chief Of Army Staff on Friday, May 28

• His appointed was announced two days earler by President Muhammadu Buahri

• Yahaya replaces Lieutenant Ibrahim Attahiru who died in a plane crash a week ago

The newly-appointed Chief of Army Staff Major General Farouk Yahaya has officially begun his tenure.

He kick-started his tenure by inspecting the Quarter Guard mounted at the military headquarters in Abuja. He also visited the Chief of Defense Staff Leo Irabor on the same day.

The new COAS succeeds Lieutenant Ibrahim Attahiru who died in a plane crash exactly one week ago in Kaduna state alongside other military officers.

He was appointed by President Buhari according to a statement from Acting Director Defence Information, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu.

Prior to this appointment, Major General Yahaya was the General Officer Commanding 1 Division of the Nigerian Army and the Theatre Commander of the Counter-Terrorism Counter Insurgency military outfit in the North with the code name Operation HADIN KAI.

Major-General Yahaya started his cadet training on 27 September 1985 and was commissioned into the Nigerian Army Infantry Corps on 22 September 1990.

GENERAL FARUK YAHAYA ASSUMES COMMAND AS 22ND CHIEF OF ARMY STAFF

...pays last respect to former COAS, late Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiruhttps://t.co/XbAfmporkW pic.twitter.com/nnvFqfTQcg

— Nigerian Army (@HQNigerianArmy) May 28, 2021