Military: Fears of Massive Retirement Reportedly Grips Top Officers As Buhari Appoints Yahaya As New COAS
- President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday, May 27, appointed Major-General Farouk Yahaya as the COAS
- Yahaya would replace Lt. Gen Attahiru who died on Friday, May 21, in a plane crash along with 10 other Army officers
- According to the report, some senior Army generals may be forced to retire after Yahaya's appointment
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A report by The Nation indicates that serving members of Regular Course 35, 36 and 37 in the Army, Air Force and Navy, may be forced out of service with the appointment of Major General Farouk Yahaya, as the new Chief of Army Staff (COAS) by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Legit.ng gathered that the new COAS is a member of the 37 Regular Course.
Source: Twitter
The newspaper noted that a reliable military source said that the senior officers may be asked to turn in their papers for ease of administration or be posted out to head tri-service institutions depending on the discretion of the Military council.
The source reportedly said:
“There is going to be a serious shakeup in the three Services with the appointment of the new Chief of Army Staff. Depending on the decision of the Military Council, members of Course 35, 36 and 37 may be asked to turn in their papers for ease of administration or they can also be redeployed to head tri-service institutions but most of them will go certainly.”
According to the report, another senior Army officer who didn’t want to be mentioned put the figure of Army Generals that would go at over 30, including two serving members of Course 35.
Sahara Reporters also reports that the late Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru was of Course 35 before his death in an air crash involving a Nigerian Air Force aircraft in Kaduna, May 21.
The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao is also of Course 35 while the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo is of Course 36.
It was gathered that the president was earlier advised against going below Course 35 in picking Attahiru’s replacement for fear of unsettling the Army.
Military sources, according to the report, however, said the decision may not be unconnected with the recent decision to flush out old hands in the Service to pave way for younger officers who can reinvigorate the counter-insurgency war.
The newspaper also stated that some junior officers who spoke on the condition of anonymity welcomed the president’s decision to choose the new COAS from Course 37.
They reportedly maintained that the flushing out of the very senior officers would brighten their chances of getting commanding positions.
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Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that some soldiers in the Theatre of War became happy after they discovered that Major General Farouk Yahaya was appointed as the new Chief of Army Staff.
It was reported that a video clip published by a Twitter user @Abbakar1030 on Thursday, May 27, shows the troops shouting with so much joy and eagerness as an official broke the news to them.
The gallant soldiers expressed their excitement after the personnel revealed that there would a moment for the army to have a special celebration.
Source: Legit.ng
