Seven days after the demise of a fatal plane crash of former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Ibrahim Attahiru, 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 incumbent Theatre Commander of the Counter-Terrorism/Counter-Insurgency military outfit in the North East, code-named Operation Hadin Kai.
He took over from Major General Olusegun Adeniyi as Theatre Command Operation Lafiya Dole on March 31 2020, before it was renamed Operation Hadin Kai by late Ibrahim Attahiru last Month, April 2021.
He was General Officer Commanding 1 Division of the Nigerian Army, Kaduna before his deployment to Operation Hadin Kai. At several times, he was the Military Secretary, (MS) Army at Army headquarters and Brigade Commander, 4 Brigade, Benin as a Brigadier General. Major General Farouk Yahaya of Regular Course 37 is from Zamfara State.
Instructively, Major General Yahaya’s appointment from the position of Brigade Commander up to the position of Theatre Commander, Operation Hadin Kai were all done by former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Yusuf Buratai (rtd).
With the Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor being a Regular Course 34 Intake, Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo and Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao both being Regular Course 35 intakes, Major General Yahaya becomes the most junior service chief as Course 37.
The implication is that about 20 Major Generals and Brigadier Generals made up of 5 remaining Regular Course 35 intakes and 15 Regular Course 36 intakes would have to proceed to give way (proceed on retirement) as they cannot be saluting their junior going by military tradition. (Vanguard Nigeria)
