President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, has appointed Major General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede as the acting Chief of Army Staff (COAS).

Oluyede will serve in this role temporarily until the return of the substantive Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Taoreed Lagbaja, who is currently unwell and receiving medical care abroad.

The appointment, announced on Wednesday, was confirmed in a statement from Bayo Onanuga, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy.

Prior to this role, Oluyede was the 56th Commander of the elite Infantry Corps of the Nigerian Army, stationed in Jaji, Kaduna.

At age 56, Oluyede and Lagbaja share a longstanding professional history as coursemates from the 39th Regular Course. Commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1992 (retroactively effective from 1987), Oluyede attained the rank of Major-General in September 2020.

Throughout his career, Oluyede has held a variety of command positions, including roles as Platoon Commander and adjutant at the 65 Battalion, Company Commander at the 177 Guards Battalion, Staff Officer at the Guards Brigade, and Commandant at the Amphibious Training School.

He has participated in numerous military operations, such as the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) mission in Liberia, Operation HARMONY IV in Bakassi, and Operation HADIN KAI in Nigeria’s North East, where he commanded the 27 Task Force Brigade.

Oluyede’s distinguished service has earned him several honors, including the Corps Medal of Honour, the Grand Service Star, Passing the Staff Course, and Membership in the National Institute. Additional awards include the Field Command Medal, the Field Command Medal of Honour, the Field Training Medal, and the Chief of Army Staff Commendation Award.

Alexander Mascot Ikewechegh, a federal lawmaker representing Abia State, appeared in the Kuje Magistrate Court to answer charges related to the assault of a Bolt driver, Stephen Abuwatseya.

The charges brought against Ikewechegh by the Inspector General of Police’s Special Investigation Unit include abuse of office, assault, and threat to life.

He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.

His attorney, Ody ESQ., submitted an oral application for bail, which was subsequently granted by Magistrate Abubakar Umar Sai’id.

The bail was set at N500,000, requiring the provision of two sureties in the same amount. The sureties must reside within the jurisdiction of the court and present utility bills as evidence of their residence.

The case has been scheduled for its next hearing on November 8, 2024.

More to come…

Nigerian petrol marketers have expressed difficulties in purchasing Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) from the Dangote Refinery, despite the recent fuel price hike.

Abubakar Maigandi, Chairman of the Independent Petrol Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), revealed this during an interview with Channels Television on Wednesday.

His statement contradicts claims by Aliko Dangote, President of the Dangote Group, who stated that retailers are neglecting his refinery’s surplus of 500 million liters of petrol.

Dangote, speaking during a visit by the Naira-for-crude implementation committee to President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday, expressed concerns about the refinery operating at a loss due to the lack of demand for its products.

However, reacting to the development, Maigandi blamed Dangote’s refinery for unending delays in registering IPMAN members to lift Dangote Fuel directly.

According to him, recently marketers on NNPCL instruction went to Dangote Refinery to lift petrol but stayed four days without getting product.

“Recently, some of the IPMAN marketers that NNPCL sent to Dangote Refinery to lift gasoline stayed with their trucks for four days; they are unable to load.

“That is why we have been contacting Dangote Refinery to allow loading directly, so that immediately we pay for the product, we could lift it immediately.

“If Dangote has 500 million litres of fuel in stock, we are ready to buy the product directly.

“Until now, NNPCL is still the sole offtaker of Dangote Petrol.

“In buying directly from Dangote Refinery, there are some processes put in place by the company that we are still following. They said they cannot sell the product to us individually. The company wants us to come in groups, which we have already done. We have submitted an application. Until the present day, Dangote Refinery has yet to register us, talkless of going to the refinery to lift the product.

“Yesterday (Tuesday), I called their attention; we were told to wait,” he said.

He added that oil marketers are boycotting Dangote’s Petrol for imported fuel because of the challenges they face in purchasing the product directly from Dangote Refinery and the pricing template.

This comes as Nigerians buy fuel at between N1030 and N1250 per litre across the country.