The new Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Major-General Faruk Yahaya, has resumed at the Nigerian Army headquarters in Abuja, tasking the personnel to redouble their efforts towards ending insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, and other criminalities across the country.
President Muhammadu Buhari, on Thursday, appointed Major General Farouk Yahaya as the new Chief of Army Staff, one week after the demise of the former COAS, Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru and 10 others in a plane crash in Kaduna.
Until his appointment, Yahaya was the general officer commanding 1 Division of the Nigerian Army and the Theatre Commander, Operation Hadin Kai, responsible for counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations in the North-East.
Yahaya’s emergence may however spell the end of the careers of about 25 major generals who were of the Regular Course 35 and Regular Course 36.
On Thursday, there were strong indications that his appointment would lead to the retirement of no fewer than 25 major generals, who were his seniors.
According to military tradition, the new COAS, who is of Course 37 is junior to these officers and cannot superintend over them.
Yahaya is also junior to the other service chiefs as the Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor is of Regular Course 34 intake; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo and Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, both being Regular Course 35 intakes.