Major General Farouk Yahaya was appointed as Nigeria’s army chief because he has experience fighting Boko Haram in the North-east, President Muhammadu Buhari has said.
Yahaya was recently appointed chief of army staff following the death of Ibrahim Attahiru, the former army chief, in a plane crash.
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Newsmen reported how Buhari bypassed at least 29 senior officers to Yahaya in appointing the army chief. The senior officers are now to be forced out of the army.
In an interview with Arise TV, aired on Thursday, Buhari said Yahaya was appointed because he was then heading Nigeria’s war against Boko Haram in the North-east and had the support and understanding of the troops.
