”President Muhammadu Buhari” bypassed no fewer than 24 top senior Nigerian Army officers to appoint Major-General Farouk Yahaya as the Chief of the Army Staff, according to a document, Seniority Roll Nigerian Army Officers 2021 (Revised) obtained by SaharaReporters on Friday.
Following Attahiru are: “Maj Generals J. O. Olawumi from Ekiti, J. O. Akomolafe from Kwara, C. O. Ude from Enugu, J. Oyefesobi from Ogun, M. O. Uzoh from Abia, C. C. Okonkwo from Imo, M. S. A. Aliyu from Zamfara, U. M. Muhammed from Niger and B. M. Shafa from Ogun.”
Others are: “N. E. Angbazo from Nasarawa, Y. P. Auta from Kebbi, A.S. Maikobi from Bauchi, B. Ahanotu from Anambra, S. A. Yaro from Bauchi, J. Sarham from Kano, H. E. Ayamasaowei from Bayelsa, O. F. Azinta from Enugu, B. A. Akinroluyo from Ondo, K. A. Y. Isiyaku from Niger, A. T. Haman from Borno, A. M. Aliyu from Gombe, H. P. Z. Vintekaba from Taraba, K. O. Kadiri from Lagos, and I. M. Yusuf from Yobe.” 
While Olawumi and nine others – Akomolafe, Ude, Oyefesobi, Uzoh, Okonkwo, Aliyu, Muhammed, Shafa and Angbazo were promoted to the rank of Major General in 2016, Yahaya and others did not become Major Generals till 2017.
The new army chief, Yahaya, now 55 years old, was taken by the Nigerian Army Infantry Corps on September 22, 1990.
