The immediate past Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Faruk Yahaya, on Friday, said that the Boko Haram insurgency was at its peak when he assumed office in 2021, but he is leaving it better than he met it.
Recall that Gen. Yahaya was appointed Army chief by former President Muhammadu Buhari on May 27, 2021, after the tragic death of Lt.-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, who died in an air crash alongside 10 other officers and men of the army on May 21.
Before he was appointed Army chief, he was the Theatre Commander of Operation HARDIN KAI, the counter-insurgency operation in the North East.
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Speaking at the handover ceremony at the Defence Headquarters, in Abuja, Gen. Yahaya, who led the Nigerian Army for two years, said he was leaving the military better than he met it.
He urged the Army to sustain the ongoing gains over various security threats, including terrorists and bandits and crude oil thieves.
The outgoing COAS asked them not to be distracted by some unpatriotic elements, but to always be apolitical and professional.
In his remarks, the new Chief of Army Staff, Maj.-Gen. Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja stated that the Army has witnessed an unprecedented prudent management of resources and procurement of military hardware under his predecessor.
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He promised to improve on the legacy of his predecessor, urging those who are disengaging from service not to deny the Nigerian Army the opportunity to tap from their experiences whenever the need calls for it.
The new Army chief promised to run an army that will be driven by discipline and professionalism.
In attendance were senior military officers and heads of various departments within the Army.
Lagbaja is the 23rd Chief of Army Staff.