Major General Farouk Yahaya has been named as Nigeria’s new Chief of Army Staff (COAS).

President Buhari appointed Major General Yahaya to replace the late former COAS, Lt Gen Ibrahim Attahiru who recently died in an air crash.

Yahaya’s appointment was confirmed in a statement released by military spokesperson, Brigadier-General Onyema Nwachukwu on Thursday.

The statement read: “The Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Mohammadu 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.”

Until his appointment the new COAS 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.