Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya CFR NAM GSS psc(+) ndc (Chile) FCMH GSMH MIAD is the Chief of Army Staff Nigeria. He was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR on the 27 May 2021. Faruk Yahaya was born 5 January 1966 in Sifawa, Bodinga Local Government area of Sokoto State. He was commissioned into the Nigerian Army Corp of Infantry as Second Lieutenant on 27 December 1990. He is a graduate of the Nigerian Defence Academy, Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Nigeria, Nigerian Army School of Infantry and National Defence College Chile. He holds a Master's Degree in International Affairs and Diplomacy.
He held several appointments including Command, Staff and Instructions. Notable amongst them are Garrison Commander Guards Brigade, Directing Staff at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College Nigeria and Military Secretary Army Headquarters. He also served as the Principal General Staff Officer to Honourable Minister of Defence, Commander 4 Brigade and 29 Task Force Brigade (Operation ZAMAN LAFIYA) and General Officer Commanding 1 Division of the Nigerian Army.
Until his appointment as the COAS, Lt Gen Faruk Yahaya was the Theatre Commander Operation HADIN KAI, responsible for the Counter Terrorism and Counter Insurgency Operations in North East Nigeria. In this role he showed his true mettle as a Soldier's General. This is evident in the reversal of setbacks in the North East campaign and the combat degradation of ISWAP/BHT in the North East and Lake Chad Basin. This created the much needed conditions for the execution of other lines of operations towards the quest for sustainable peace and security in North East Nigeria and Lake Chad Basin.