365NEWS gathered that the acting Chief of Army Staff, Maj. Gen. Olufemi Oluyede will assume duties on Friday, November 1.
Oluyede was appointed by President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday pending the return of the indisposed substantive Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Taoreed Lagbaja.
His appointment came a few days after the Defence Headquarters stated that the appointment of an Acting Chief of Army Staff was not recognized under the Harmonised Armed Forces Act.
In a statement issued by the Director of Defence Information, Brig Gen Tukur Gusau, on October 21, the DHQ clarified that no such appointment exists within the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
The rebuttal followed reports by Jackson Ude, an aide to former President Goodluck Jonathan, claiming that Lagbaja had died of cancer.
Reacting to the post on X, the Nigerian Army marked it as fake news.
However, in a notice on Thursday signed by Group Captain Chris Erondu on behalf of the Director of Defence Information, Brig Gen Tukur Gusau, it was stated that the handover ceremony would be held at the Defence Headquarters conference room at 10 am.
It read, “The formal taking over ceremony of the newly appointed acting Chief of Army Staff, Major General Olufemi Oluyede is scheduled for tomorrow as follows: Date: 1 November 2024; Time: 10000hrs; Venue: DHQ Conference Room, Abuja.”
