More than 25 major generals who are of the regular course 35 and 36 are billed to retire following the appointment of Maj. Gen. Farouk Yahaya of Regular Course 37 as the new chief of army staff.
Yahaya succeeds Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru who, alongside 10 other military officers, died in a plane crash at the Kaduna International Airport on Friday, May 21.
Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday named Yahaya as the new chief of army staff.
The appointment was contained in a statement by the acting director, defence information, Brig. Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu.
The statement reads: “The Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 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 Counter Terrorism Counter Insurgency military outfit in the North East code named Operation Hadin Kai.”
His emergence means an end to the careers of about 25 major generals who were of the Regular Course 35 and Regular Course 36.
According to military tradition, Yahaya who is of Course 37 is junior to the regular course 35 and 36 officers and cannot superintend over them.
Yahaya is also junior to the other service chiefs – 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.
It was gathered that the appointment of Yahaya, who is from Sokoto State, was a delayed because the president was trying to weigh the ethnic and religious factors in naming a new COAS.
“The president finally settled for Yahaya because many of the Generals in Regular Courses 35 and 36 were found to be from the same tribe or same state as other security chiefs in the Ministry of Defence, National Security Adviser’s office, the Navy and the Air Force.
“For instance, Major General. Jamil Sarham, of Regular Course 36, former Commandant Nigerian Defence Academy is from Kano, where the Minister of Defence, Major General. Bashir Magashi (retd.) and the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo, hail from.
“From all indications no fewer than 25 major generals from courses 35 and 36 will leave the force with the appointment Yahaya.”
The source also cited another contender to the top military position, the Chief of Policy and Plan Maj. Gen. Benjamin Ahanotu of Regular Course 35, who is from Anambra state which shares boundary with Delta State where the CDS hailed from.
Meanwhile, the new COAS has paid final respects to his predecessor.
According to the official Twitter account of the Nigerian Army, Yahaya signed the condolence register at the Headquarters Theatre Command of Operation HADIN KAI, Maimalari Cantonment, Maiduguri, Borno State.
“The new Chief of Army Staff, Maj. Gen. Farouk Yahaya pays his last respect to his predecessor, late Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru after signing the condolence register at HQ Theatre Command of Operation HADIN KAI, Maimalari Cantonment, Maiduguri, Borno State,” the Nigerian Army tweeted.
With Punch report
