The Nigerian Army on Monday conducted the symbolic lowering and hoisting of the command flag at the Army Headquarters in Abuja, marking the formal assumption of command by Lt.-Gen. Olufemi Oluyede as the 24th Chief of Army Staff.
Lt.-Gen. Oluyede, appointed by President Bola Tinubu on October 30 in an acting capacity, succeeds the late Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, who passed away unexpectedly.
The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, had previously handed over the insignia of office to Oluyede on November 1 in an unusual but lawful manner, adhering to the provisions of the Armed Forces Act.
The symbolic ceremony, which signifies the beginning of a new tenure, followed the official confirmation of Oluyede’s appointment by the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Speaking during the event, military officials described the flag-lowering tradition as a key symbol of continuity and leadership transition within the armed forces.
Before his appointment, Oluyede was the 56th Commander of the elite Infantry Corps of the Nigerian Army, based in Jaji, Kaduna State. A seasoned officer, the 56-year-old was a coursemate of the late Lagbaja, both being members of the 39th Regular Course of the Nigerian Defence Academy.
Commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1992, with an effective service date from 1987, Oluyede steadily rose through the ranks, attaining the rank of Major General in September 2020.
