The emergence of Lt General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede as the new Chief of Army Staff (COAS) appointed by President Ahmed Bola Tinubu on the 30th, October 2024 will definitely usher in an era of increased stability, tranquility, reliability and durability within and beyond the Nigerian Army that is surely needed after the brief period when the erstwhile COAS, General Taoreed Lagbaja was hospitalized abroad. Without much ado, the newly appointed COAS moved swiftly to assure the rank and file of the Nigerian Army that all operations, activities, policies and programs were going on optimally and that their overall welfare and wellbeing was topmost on the agenda of the Army top brass.
Following the subsequent passing away of General Taoreed Lagbaja, a deeply saddened Lt Gen Oluyede sympathized with the family, friends and associates of the late COAS and the entirety of the armed forces on this doleful transition while restating the determination of the new leadership to take the Nigerian Army to the highest levels possible in the crucial scheme of things.
Crucially, Lt Gen Olufemi Oluyede has stressed that he is attuned to the attainment of the highest levels of dedication to duty and commitment to enhanced professionalism, competence and outstanding performance in all its positive ramifications thus requiring all hands to be on deck for the urgent tasks at hand. Unflinching loyalty, unwavering patriotism, unrelenting courage and unalloyed devotion to the peace, security, stability and prosperity of the nation are the key mantras of the redoubtable COAS who has vowed to deal decisively with security threats, saboteurs and malefactors wherever they may be ensconced.
Indeed, a tough and uncompromising Lt Gen Oluyede has warned those sponsoring or actively engaging in all forms of terrorist, insurgent, criminal or separatist activities to lay down their arms or face the unprecedented wrath of the Nigerian Army this time around. In the fight against insecurity, there shall be no sacred cows as henceforth, a ruthless, take no prisoner approach is in the offing to end the insecurity scourge once and for all, the COAS remonstrated. Drawing from his wealth of knowledge and depth of experience in the Nigerian Army which has encompassed several decades, having served in the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) in Liberia and Operation Harmony IV in Bakassi where he led his troops on search and destroy missions that sent criminal elements scampering for cover or safety from his overwhelming tactical prowess.
Known as a resolute soldiers’ soldier, Lt Gen Olufemi Oluyede is famed for leading his troops into battle and does not return back to base until all his officers and men are accounted for in tune with the famous ‘No man left behind’ maxim. In the Operation Hadin Kai Military Theater in the Northeast Zone, an agile Lt Gen Oluyede has successfully degraded terrorist networks and their dastardly collaborators to negligible levels leaving the remnants for mopping up operations by the police and vigilante formations. Before his fortuitous appointment as COAS, Lt Gen Olufemi Oluyede was the 56th Commander of the
Infantry Corps in Jaji, Kaduna, a position which the seasoned commanding officer has been holding forth with utmost zeal, required deft and accustomed dexterity. In his latest deployment as COAS, Lt Gen Oluyede brings much required technical competence, utmost diligence, unrelenting hardwork, exemplary performance and outstanding achievement to the field, a positive scenario that has greatly motivated and deeply mentored the hundreds of officers and men under his command. Strictly apolitical and supremely loyal to constituted authority, there is little doubt that the superbly skilled Lt Gen Olufemi Oluyede is the most suited choice for the Nigerian Army at this delicate point in time. He has led his troops confidently to battle countless times and has returned victorious countless times. This latest outing will be no different from his previous military exploits in tune with his famed mantra of ‘No Retreat, No Surrender Until Ultimate Victory ls Achieved’. To God be the Glory.
