According to the statement from the Acting Director Defence Information, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu.
Major General Yahaya was the General Officer Commanding 1 Division of the Nigerian Army and the present Theatre Commander of the Counter Terrorism Counter Insurgency military outfit for the North East, with code name Operation HADIN KAI.
Major General Yahaya appointment came about a week after the former Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru and 10 others died in a military plane crash in Kaduna.
The Air Force in their statement said the plane crash near the Kaduna airport is still on investigation for the immediate cause of the crash.
‘Third Army Chief’
Major General Farouk Yahaya will be the third Chief of Army President Buhari has appointed since he came into the office as a democratic president in 2015.
In July 2015, when he won the election and become president, he appointed Major-General Tukur Buratai as the Chief of Army Staff.
He’s supposed aim was to dismantle and clear out the Boko Haram insurgents from the sambisa forest in the north east.
During his swearing in ceremony, President Buhari gave an order to the military to move their command centre to Maiduguri, Borno State capital to fight Boko Haram.
In January 26, 2021, after alot of criticism and calls to sack
the service chiefs because of the unending issues of insecurity in the north and Boko Haram, the presidency announced that President Muhammadu Buhari accepted the immediate resignation letter of the old Service Chiefs and approve their retirement from service.
That announcement came with the appointment of new Service Chiefs; and Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru took over from Major-General Tukur Buratai.
Lt Gen, Attahiru died in the military plane crash in Kaduna on 21 May, 2021.
That is just barely four months when since assumed office.
Major-General Yahaya’s appointment announcement came about a week after his death.
