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.
The appointment was announced on the Twitter on Thursday, May 27, 2021, by the Defence Headquarters.
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.
Giving the new COAS’s profile, the Director, Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Mohammed Yerima said that Major General Yahaya was born on January 5, 1966 in Sifawa and hails from Bodinga Local Government Area of Sokoto State. He was granted Regular Combatant Commission as a member of 37 Regular Course on September 22, 1990 in the rank of Second Lieutenant with seniority in the same rank effective September 27, 1985.
He is of the Nigerian Army Infantry Corps and holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History and a Masters’ Degree in International Affairs and Diplomacy.
The new COAS has attended several courses and performed creditably well among which are; Young Officers’ Course (Infantry), Machine Gun Platoon Commanders’ Course, Air Defence Platoon Commanders’ Course, Junior Course and Company Commanders’ Course. Others include Basic Range Management Course, Senior Course, Commanding Officers’ Course and Military Coordination Course. He is a fellow of the National Defence College Chile.
He has held several command, instructional and staff appointments, which include Platoon Commander 181 Mechanised Battalion and 82 Motorised Battalion. He was also a Company second in command at 81 Guards Battalion and 20 Amphibious Battalion.
Yahaya was also ADC to the then Military Administrator of Kano State Colonel Dominic Oneya later Brigadier General (Rtd). The senior officer also served in 7 Battalion as officer commanding and later Guards Brigade as staff officer and Commander Guards Brigade Garrison.
He was a Directing Staff at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College JaJi, Kaduna and Assistant Chief of Staff 1 Division Kaduna.
The senior officer served twice as Deputy Director Military Secretary and then Deputy Director Records and Documents.
He was equally at the Headquarters Joint Task Force (Operation PULO SHIELD) as Chief of Staff and later posted to Army Headquarters Department of Military Secretary as the Deputy Military Secretary 1. Major General Yahaya was also one time the Principal General Staff Officer to the Minister of Defence.
He was one time Commander 29 Task Force Brigade and 4 Brigade. The General was also at the Army Headquarters Department of Army Administration as Director Manpower Planning.
Prior to his appointment, he was the Military Secretary (Army) before his appointment as the General Officer Commanding 1 Division Kaduna.
Until his appointment as the 22nd Chief of Army Staff (COAS) on 27 May 2021, Major General Faruk Yahaya was the Theatre Commander Operation HADIN KAI, a position he has held since 3 April 2020.
The 22nd COAS has equally served in the ECOWAS Monitoring Group operations in Liberia and Operation LAFIYA DOLE (now Operation HADIN KAI).
In recognition of his meritorious service to the nation, Major General Yahaya earned numerous awards and medals including Pass Junior Staff Course, Pass Staff Course (dagger) and Fellow National Defence College (Chile).
Others are Forces Service Star, Meritorious Service Star, Distinguished Service Star, Grand Service Star, Command Medal, Field Command Medal, Field Command Medal of Honour, General Service Medal of Honour, General Operations Medal, Bachelor of Art Honours and Masters in International Affairs and Diplomacy.
He is married and blessed with children and enjoys reading, travelling, jokes and local music.
