On Friday, October 24, President Bola Tinubu appointed Lt. General Olufemi Oluyede as the new Chief of Defence.
This development was announced in a statement signed and distributed by Chief Sunday Dare, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Public Communication.
According to Chief Sunday Dare, President Tinubu as appointed former Chief of Army Staff Lt. General Olufemi Oluyede as the new Chief of Defence Staff, succeeding General Christopher Musa.
21 things you probably do not know about General Olufemi Oluyede, the new Chief of Defence Staff
He was born in 1968
He is a native of Ikere, Ekiti State
He was a member of the 39th Regular Course of the Nigerian Defence Academy
He was commissioned as a second-lieutenant in 1992
He was promoted to Major-General in September 2020
He earned a degree in Military Science and has undergone extensive military training, qualifying him for various strategic roles in the Nigerian Army.
He oversaw the training of troops in amphibious and special operations as a commandant of the Amphibious Training School
He was a commander of the 27 Task Force Brigade where he led operations under Operation HADIN KAI in the North East, focusing on counter-insurgency efforts against Boko Haram
He was a commander of the Infantry Corps where he served as the 56th Commander of the Nigerian Army’s elite Infantry Corps, based in Jaji, Kaduna
He was appointed as Acting Chief of Army Staff by President Bola Tinubu on October 30, 2024 pending the return of Lt. General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja from medical leave.
He was later confirmed as the substantive Chief of Army Staff on December 9, 2024.
He participated in ECOMOG Mission in Liberia where he contributed to restoring stability in the country
He participated in Operation HARMONY IV in Bakassi where he participated in peacekeeping and conflict resolution efforts
He participated in Operation HADIN KAI in the North East where he played a pivotal role in counter-insurgency operations against Boko Haram
He is a member of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS)
He received the Corps Medal of Honors
He received the Grand Service Star award
He received the Field Command Medal of Honor
He received the Field Training Medal
He received the Chief of Army Staff Commendation Award
He is married with three children
