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Who Is Major General Farouk Yahaya? Nigeria’s Latest COAS

Following the death of Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed his replacement, Maj. Gen. Farouk Yahaya, who would take over as the country’s new chief of army staff.

The former Chief of Army Staff died in an air crash on Friday, May 21, 2021, while on his way to Kaduna where he was billed to attend the passing out parade of army recruits. He died alongside ten other army officers a list which included three brigadier generals.

As the nation comes to terms with the tragic death, the acting Director of Defence Information, Onyema Nwachukwu, announced the appointment of a new COAS yesterday, Thursday, May 27, 2021, in a statement.

According to the Nigerian Army website, the new Chief of Army Staff, Major General Farouk Yahaya was born on 5 January 1966 in Sifawa, Bodinga Local Government Area of Sokoto state.

He is a member of the 37 Regular Course of the prestigious Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), and started his cadet training on 27 September 1985 and was commissioned into the Nigerian Army Infantry Corps on 22 September 1990.

Before his recent appointment as the country’s new Chief of Army Staff, Maj. Gen. Farouk Yahaya was the Theatre Commander Operation HADIN KAI, responsible for Counter Terrorism and Counter Insurgency operations in North East Nigeria.

Major General Farouk Yahaya is happily married and blessed with children and is also the proud holder of several honors and awards, some of which include:

  • Command Medal
  • Forces Service Star
  • Grand Service Star
  • Silver Jubilee Medal
  • Golden Jubilee Medal
  • Field Command Medal
  • Meritorious Service Star
  • General Operations Medal
  • Distinguished Service Star
  • Passed staff course (Dagger)
  • National DefenceCourse (Chile)
  • Economic Community of West Africa State Monitoring Group Medal

Meanwhile, the Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai has congratulated Maj. Gen. Farouk Yahaya on his appointment.

The governor said he is excited about the appointment since the Major General is someone he has worked closely with when the latter served as General Officer Commanding, 1 Division Nigerian Army, Kaduna covering Kaduna, Niger, Kano, and Jigawa States.

He also added that he believes the incoming COAS will succeed in areas where his predecessors encountered brick walls and do his part in ensuring a secured nation.

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Entertainment

Davido announces white wedding date with Chioma

Nigerian music superstar Davido has officially revealed plans for a white wedding with his wife, Chioma, which will be held in Miami this August.
During an interview on The Breakfast Club, Davido compared Nigerian marriage customs to those in the United States, noting how family dynamics often play a significant role in African unions.

He said,

Back home, the culture in some households is, for example, that a lot of men grew up with their mum so she’s everything. You know those kinds of households that even if they get married, they can’t leave their mum, she must be in the house. So anything the husband does right or wrong, she’s supporting the husband.

The singer, who previously held a lavish traditional wedding in Nigeria, shared the update while reflecting on cultural differences and the intense public attention surrounding their relationship.

He added,

That’s the mentality in Nigeria: the same thing is for women, they must always support their daughters. Meanwhile, in America, it is just the man and woman who get married. In Nigeria, you never really leave that family. Have you seen a Nigerian wedding?

He went on to recall how his traditional wedding turned into a nationwide celebration and how the white wedding in August 2025 would be a continuation.

I’m having my white wedding in Miami in August. The wedding I did was traditional, it was like a carnival in Nigeria, like a holiday. The whole world stood still. Me and my wife’s relationship was in the public eye, especially after I did that one song. So a lot of things happened. Even apart from losing our child, I messed up a lot of times so that full circle moment everyone was like finally she can get what she deserves.

The 32-year-old Atlanta-born Grammy nominee also added that his wife is the best because she keeps her affairs private.

My wife, you can never see her go to any interview or take a phone to say ‘oh, my husband did this’ or see her go on live — like the normal things. And I appreciate her for that because she could.

The effervescent singer went on to say that no one is perfect, and he would be lying if he said they are.

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Entertainment

Having the #1 song in Nigeria is not worth celebrating – Burna Boy

Burna Boy

Nigerian superstar Burna Boy weighs in on the constant polls and comparisons Nigerian fans engage in on social media. According to him, none of these fans can help fill up a stadium anywhere in the world, so their polls don’t matter.

“Dear artists, don’t let Twitter polls and ‘Naija social media fans’ deceive you. They won’t fill up any stadium for you in any part of the world,” he wrote on his Instagram story

Burna Boy further compared the value of Nigerian streams to streams from the UK and US, which pay significantly more.

According to him, having the number 1 song on a Nigerian music streaming platform isn’t a feat worth celebrating.

Instead, he encourages artists to aim higher and do business on the other side. Burna Boy’s statement, while being an accurate reflection of Nigeria’s economic realities, carries the same condescending tone with which he has approached such a topic in the past.

Making such a statement as “Naija social media fans” suggests that Burna Boy doesn’t consider these millions of fans to be valuable beyond the social media space where they actively engage with Afrobeats.

His statement also brings to mind the controversial statement he made ahead of the release of his last album, ‘I Told Them’.

In an interview with Zane Lowe, he described Afrobeats as a genre without substance.

In the past, Burna Boy has also made such a statement as nobody paved the way for him which attracted criticism from veteran stars who knocked him for discrediting their contributions to the success of Nigerian mainstream music. Burna Boy is gearing up for the release of his eighth album, ‘No Sign of Weakness,’ and this controversial take follows the similar pattern that preceded the release of his last album.

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Entertainment

Tuface’s lover, Natasha, loses minority leader position in Edo Assembly shake-up

The Edo State House of Assembly has removed Hon Natasha Osawaru Irobosa of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as Minority Leader, following the defection of four PDP lawmakers to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Irobosa, known for her relationship with Nigerian music icon Tuface Idibia, was removed alongside the Majority Leader, Hon Charity Aiguobarueghian, and Chief Whip, Hon Yekini Idaiye.

Speaker of the House, Hon Blessing Agbebaku, announced the leadership changes during a plenary session, citing a letter from the state’s acting APC Chairman, Jarret Tenebe, which confirmed that PDP had lost its majority status.

Agbebaku stated that Hon Ibhamawu Jonathan Aigbokhan (APC, Esan West) would now serve as Majority Leader. At the same time, Hon Addeh Emakhu Isibor (APC, Esan North-East I) and Hon Lecky Hussein Mustapha (APC, Etsako West I) would take up the positions of Deputy Majority Leader and Chief Whip, respectively.

Despite the reshuffle, Agbebaku and his deputy, Hon Maria Edeko, both of the PDP, retained their leadership positions in the House.

However, the Speaker acknowledged that their tenure in these roles was uncertain given the shifting political dynamics.

“The PDP leadership in the state will present its nominees for principal officers to the House,” Agbebaku stated.

The latest developments underscore the volatility within the Edo Assembly as party alignments continue to shift ahead of future political battles.

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