By Odimmegwa Johnpeter, Abuja
The newly appointed Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Major General Faruk Yahaya on Friday assumed office as the 22nd COAS at the Army Headquarters Abuja and paid the traditional visit to the Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor who urged him to build on the legacy.
The new COAS was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday following the death of Lt. Gen Ibrahim Attahiru along with 10 Military Officers in the ill-fated Air Crash in Kadana last week Friday.
After the initial welcome ceremonies at Army headquarters of lowering the former flag of His predecessor and hoisting the New flag, the New Army Chief addressed senior officers of the Nigerian Army briefly at the conference room of Army Headquarters in a closed-door session.
However, before his address, he observed a one minute silence for his predecessor, the late Gen Attahiru and 10 other late Officers.
Major General Faruk Yahaya prior to his appointment 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.
Earlier the COAS had visited the Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor at Defence headquarters where the CDS congratulated him and presented to him, the Army Flag.
During his visit to Defence headquarters, the CDS wished Maj Gen Yahaya a successful tenure in office as the 22nd Chief of Army Staff.
General Irabor further urged the new COAS to build on the legacy of his predecessor, particularly in the fight against insurgency and banditry in the country.
The COAS was accompanied on the visit by the Chief of Policy and Plans Headquarters Nigerian Army, Maj Gen Benjamin Ahanotu.
Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday 27 May 2021 appointed Maj Gen Yahaya as the new Army Chief.
This came just as the Minister of Defence, Maj Gen Bashir Salihi Magashi (retd) has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for the well thought out Strategic appointment of Major General Farouk Yahaya as the 22nd Chief of Army Staff as a replacement for the late Lt Gen Ibrahim Attahiru who died in a plane crash alongside ten others last Friday in Kaduna.
General Magashi said by the appointment of General Yahaya, President Buhari had expediently put national interest above ethnic and religious chauvinism by fulfilling all requirements necessary.
These include his unblemished track records of service, Professional, Command and Operational competencies among other yardsticks that culminated into his emergence as the most suitably qualified new Army boss.
General Magashi described the new Army Chief as an organic infantry General who is tested and trusted to actualise the national aspirations to restore peace in the dark spots areas of insurgency, kidnapping and banditry as well as other allied threats to the nation’s corporate existence.
The Defence Minister expressed optimism in the professional pedigree of the former theatre Commander Operation “Hadin Kai” General Yahaya in sustaining the trajectory of taking offensive and aggressive campaigns to the camps, corridors and cells of the adversaries with a view to obliterating them.
He said as a battle Commander with remarkable exploits and considerable experience, exposure and expertise he will be committed to the new battle plans and philosophy of Jointness among Services and other security agencies in combat which are some of the legacies of his predecessor.
While pledging the support of the Ministry of Defence under his watch to the new Army boss in carrying out his mandate, the minister said plans are in the pipeline by the Federal Government to immortalise late General Attahiru and others who died in the plane crash.
This according to him is aimed at immortalising them and to ensure that their sacrifices as national heroes in keeping the nation safe and secured are not in vain.
PROFILE OF COAS, MAJOR GENERAL FARUK YAHAYA
The new Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Major General Faruk Yahaya was born on 5 January 1966 in Sifawa, Bodinga Local Government Area of Sokoto state. Maj Gen Yahaya who is a member of the 37 Regular Course of the prestigious Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), started his cadet training on 27 September 1985 and was commissioned into the Nigerian Army Infantry Corps on 22 September 1990. Maj Gen Yahaya has held several appointments including Staff, Instructional and Command. This was contained in a statement by Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, Acting Director Defence Information.
Notable among the appointments held by the new COAS are Garrison Commander Headquarters Guards Brigade, Directing Staff at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC), Deputy Director Army Headquarters Department of Military Secretary, Deputy Director Army Research and Development and the Chief of Staff, Headquarters Joint Task Force Operation Pulo Shield.
He also served as the Principal General Staff Officer (PGSO) to the Honourable Minister of Defence, the Commander, Headquarters 4 Brigade and 29 Task Force Brigade (Operation Zaman Lafiya). He was also Director Manpower at the Army Headquarters, Military Secretary, Army Headquarters and General Officer Commanding (GOC) 1 Division of the Nigerian Army.
Until his appointment as the COAS, Maj Gen Faruk Yahaya was the Theatre Commander Operation HADIN KAI, responsible for Counter-Terrorism and Counter-Insurgency operations in North-East Nigeria.
The new COAS is a proud holder of several honours and awards, some of which include, Forces Service Star, Meritorious Service Star, Distinguished Service Star, Grand Service Star, Passed staff course (Dagger), National DefenceCourse (Chile), Economic Community of West Africa State Monitoring Group Medal, Command Medal, Field Command Medal, General Operations Medal, Silver Jubilee Medal and Golden Jubilee Medal. He is happily married and blessed with children.
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