Buhari names Maj Gen Farouk Yahaya new army chief

President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed Major-General Farouk Yahaya as the new Chief of Army Staff.

This was contained in a statement on Thursday by the military spokesperson, Brigadier-General Onyema Nwachukwu.

In April 2020, he was named theatre commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, the military’s campaign in the North-East, recently renamed Operation Hadin Kai.

“President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed Major General Farouk Yahaya as the new Chief of Army Staff.

“Prior to his appointment Major-General Yahaya was the General Officer Commanding 1 Division of the Nigerian Army and the incumbent Theatre Commander of the Counterterrorism Counter Insurgency military outfit in the North East code-named Operation HADIN KAI,” the statement added.

His appointment came barely six days after the former Chief of Army Staff, Ibrahim Attahiru, and 10 officers lost their lives in a plane crash in Abuja.