Buhari promotes new army chief to rank of lieutenant-general

President Muhammadu Buhari has promoted Faruk Yahaya, chief of army staff, to the rank of lieutenant-general.

Yahaya was a major-general.

The decoration of the army chief took place in a short ceremony before the commencement of the federal executive council (FEC) meeting at the presidential villa in Abuja on Wednesday.

Buhari was assisted in decorating Yahaya by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo and Salamatu Yahaya, the wife of the army chief.

Officials present at the ceremony were Ibrahim Gambari, chief of staff to the president; Babagana Monguno, national security adviser (NSA); Salihi Magashi, minister of defence; Ali Ndume, chairman of the senate committee on defence.

Also present were Lucky Irabor, chief of defence staff; Isiaka Amao, chief of the air staff; Sunday Adebayo, chief of defence intelligence (CDI); Yusuf Bichi, director general of Department of State Services (DSS), and Usman Baba, inspector-general of police (IGP).

Yahaya was appointed as army chief following the death of Ibrahim Attahiru, who died in a military plane crash on May 21.

Before his appointment, Yahaya was the theatre commander of Operation Hadin Kai, a counter-insurgency operation in the north-east.