As the nation mourns the passing of the senior military officers, some blogs reported that President Buhari has named Major-General Danjuma Alli-Keffi as the Acting COAS.
Recalled a blog at theconclaveng, claimed the president named Ali Keffi the acting COAS while “the search for a replacement for the late Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Ibrahim Attahiru, has begun.”
Several other blogs and social media users have also posted Ali-Keffi as the new Acting COAS.
According to the official platforms of the presidential spokesmen, Garba Shehu and Femi Adesina and the verified social media accounts of the presidential aides on new media, Tolu Ogunlesi, Bashir Ahmad, and Lauretta Onochie.
This newspaper gathers that at the time of releasing this press, there is nothing about the appointment of a new acting COAS on the checked platforms. Also, there is no reputable news media that has any report about the alleged appointment of a new acting COAS.
The official channels of the Nigerian Army and the Defence Headquarters also have nothing about the purported appointment.
However, a message sent to Adesina’s official Facebook page has also not been replied to. Since the announcement of the incident, the official information from the presidency was the briefing of President Buhari’ and his condolence message wherein he described the military officers’ death as “one mortal blow” to the nation’s “underbelly”.
In the statement, the president made no mention of any appointment. When President Buhari appointed Attahiru and other service chiefs in January, all the official channels of the presidency and its spokesmen publicised the development.
Media reports name Ali-Keffi as likely successor As the nation awaits the appointment of a new COAS, PR Nigeria and a few other publications name Ali-Keffi as one of those likely to succeed Attahiru.
Major General Danjuma Ali-Keffi is currently the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 1 Division Nigerian Army, Kaduna.
He was named alongside four others. However, he and others listed in the report remain LIKELY successors. The Nigerian president is yet to appoint any of them.
The claim that President Buhari has appointed Major General Danjuma Ali-Keffi as the new Acting Chief of Army Staff is FALSE.