The Nigerian Army, on Monday, performed a symbolic lowering and hoisting of the command flag at Army Headquarters as Lt .-Gen. Olufemi Oluyede assumed command as the 24th Chief of Army Staff.
The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that Oluyede was appointed by President Bola Tinubu on 30 October in an acting capacity following the death of his predecessor, Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja.
The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, had on 1 November handed him the insignia of office in an unusual ceremony, in line with the Armed Forces Act.
The symbolic lowering and hoisting of the command flag, which signifies the beginning of his tenure, came after the Senate and House of Representatives confirmed his appointment.
Until his appointment, Oluyede served as the 56th Commander of the elite Infantry Corps of the Nigerian Army, based in Jaji, Kaduna.
The 56-year-old Oluyede and Lagbaja were coursemates and members of the 39th Regular Course of the Nigerian Defence Academy.
He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1992, effective from 1987, and rose to Major General in September 2020.