President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed Major General Farouk Yahaya as Chief of Army Staff.

Acting Director, Defence Information, Brigadier-General Onyema Nwachukwu, announces this in a statement on Thursday.

The new COAS Yahaya was the General Officer Commanding 1 Division of the Nigerian Army and the incumbent Theatre Commander of the Counter terrorism Counter Insurgency military outfit code named Operation HADIN KAI, according to the statement.

The appointment comes six days after the sudden death of General Ibrahim Attahiru, the former Chief of Army Staff.

This army chief was among the officers that The populace had listed as persons being considered by the president.