President Mohammadu Buhari on Wednesday decorated the newly appointed Chief of Army Staff, Farouk Yahaya with his new rank of Lieutenant General.

The decoration of the army chief took place in a short ceremony before the commencement of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the Presidential villa in Abuja. 

Buhari was assisted in decorating Yahaya by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo and Salamatu Yahaya, the wife of the army chief. 

The ceremony was attended by top military brass including the Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, Chief of the Air, Air Marshal Isiaka Amao, Chief of Defence Intelligence (CDI), Maj General Sunday Adebayo, DG Department of State Service (DSS), Yusuf Bichi, and the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali Baba.

It was also witnessed by members of the Cabinet as well as the Chairman of Senate Committee on Army, Senator Ali Ndume, and his counterpart from the House of Representatives.

Yahaya was appointed as army chief following the death of Ibrahim Attahiru, who died in a military plane crash on May 21.

Before his appointment, Yahaya was the theatre commander of Operation Hadin Kai, a counter-insurgency operation in the north-east.