Buhari Snubbs Anambra's Ahanotu, Appoints Another Northerner As New COAS

 By Izunna Okafor

Ndi Igbo and the entire southern Nigeria have lost it again, as President Muhammadu Buhari snubbed them and appointed another northerner as the new Chief of Army Staff.

According to a statement issued on Thursday, by the Acting Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, the new Chief of Army Staff is Major General Farouk Yahaya, who hails from Bodinga Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

The statement reads, "The Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed Major General Farouk Yahaya as the new Chief of Army Staff.

"Prior to his appointment Major General 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 in the North East, code named Operation HADIN KAI.

"Please disseminate this information to the general public through your news medium.
Thank you for your cooperation."

It would be recalled that the immediate-past Nigeria's Chief of Army Staff, General Ibrahim Attahiru died barely six days ago, in a plane crash that occurred in Kaduna, which also cost the lives of some other officers of the Nigerian military.

Ever since then, opinions and counter opinions have been making wave, as to who would be the possible successor of the Late Attahiru.

Many top-ranking officers were outlined as possible successors, among whom Anambra's Major General Ben Ahanotu topped the list as one of the most senior officers in the Nigerian Army.

Major General Ahanotu who hails from Ukpor in Nnewi South LGA of  Anambra State, is a member of Regular Course 35, same as late COAS Attahiru.

He was the commander of the military operation that captured the founder of Boko Haram, Mohammed Yusuf, and his followers at their hideout in Maiduguri in 2009 before handing them over to the police.

He has also been the Chief of Policy and Plan of the Nigerian Army.

However, against all speculations, President Buhari snubbed the Igbos again, by ignoring Ahanotu and appointing Yahaya as the country's new Chief of Army Staff.