.Postpones FEC meeting, directs flag to be flown at half mast nationwide for 7 days
BLESSING TAIWO, Lagos, COSMAS CHUKWU, Enugu, and PAMELA EBOH, Awka, with agency reports
Chief of the Army Staff, Lt. General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja, has passed away at age 56 after a period of illness.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu announced the death of Lagbaja who died on Tuesday in Lagos in a statement by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President (Information and Strategy) on Wednesday.
The statement read in part: “Born on February 28, 1968, Lt. General Lagbaja was appointed Chief of Army Staff on June 19, 2023, by President Tinubu.
“His distinguished military career began when he enrolled in the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1987. On September 19, 1992, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Nigerian Infantry Corps as a member of the 39th Regular Course.
“Throughout his service, Lt. General Lagbaja demonstrated exceptional leadership and commitment, serving as a platoon commander in the 93 Battalion and the 72 Special Forces Battalion.
“He played pivotal roles in numerous internal security operations, including Operation ZAKI in Benue State, Lafiya Dole in Borno, Udoka in Southeast Nigeria, and Operation Forest Sanity across Kaduna and Niger States.
“An alumnus of the prestigious U.S. Army War College, he earned a Master’s degree in Strategic Studies, demonstrating his dedication to professional growth and excellence in military leadership.
“Lt. General Lagbaja is survived by his beloved wife, Mariya, and their two children.”
Meanwhile, President Tinubu has ordered the rescheduling of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting till another date to be announced.
Initially scheduled for Wednesday, the council meeting was postponed in honour of Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, the Chief of Army Staff, who passed away on Tuesday night, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, the President’s spokesman, said in a statement.
Lagbaja served as the Chief of Army Staff from June 19, 2023, till his death on November 5, 2024.
President Tinubu also ordered flags to be flown at half-staff nationwide for seven days in honour of the departed general.
“Earlier Wednesday, President Tinubu expressed his heartfelt condolences to the Lagbaja family and the Nigerian Armed Forces.
“He wished Lt.-Gen. Lagbaja eternal peace and honoured his significant contributions to the nation,” the statement said.
Other prominent Nigerians including Senate President Godswill Akpabio and state Governors have also been paying tributes to the late Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Lagbaja, describing his demise as a loss not only to his Osun State and his home-town, Ilobu in particular but to Nigeria as a whole.
Mourning General Lagbaja’s death, President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has described the late Chief of Army Staff (COAS) as a fine officer, who gave his all for the territorial security and unity of the country.
Akpabio said he received the news of the death of the late military chief with shock, few days after he had spoken with the President and was upbeat about his return to office.
A statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Jackson Udom, quoted Akpabio as saying: “I received the news of the death of the late Chief of Army Staff, Taoreed Lagbaja, with shock. His death, coming at a time the country needed his wealth of experience in tackling and bringing to an end insecurity in some parts of the country, is a huge loss to the country and the security community.
“He was a fine, committed and dedicated officer, who served the country with all his might, even at the risk of paying the supreme price”.
A former Osun State Governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, condoled with family, relations, and colleagues of the late Lt General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja.
Prince Oyinlola, who is also a retired General of the Nigerian Army, described General Lagbaja’s death as a monumental loss to Nigeria, the Nigerian Army and the military in general.
He, therefore, commiserated with the President and Commander-in-Chief, Senator Bola Tinubu, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, the acting Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Olufemi Oluyede, other service chiefs, senior officers of the armed forces and, indeed, all other officers and men of the Nigerian military.
While sending his condolences to the immediate family of General Lagbaja and the Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, the former governor said the loss of the senior officer has made Nigeria, Osun State and the late General’s hometown, Ilobu, poorer.
“General Lagbaja was an example of what true gallantry means. A warrior of the finest breed, the late General showed the best of leadership for the Nigerian Army in the few months he served as the chief. He used his position to preserve the reputation of the Nigerian Army as a very competent fighting force. As he served the country with all his heart, he gave due respect and regards to his elders and seniors.
“When a young man dies like this, the temptation is to ask why? But who are we to query God? He gives and He takes at His own appointed time. The consolation is that he came, played his part well, and left in a blaze of glory. May his gallant soul rest in perfect peace”, Prince Oyinlola said.
In his own condolence message, Governor Ademola Adelele of Osun State described as a sad loss the untimely exit of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Taoheed Lagbaja, calling his transition “a huge misfortune”.
“A huge misfortune has befallen the people of Osun State, the Nigerian Army and the great Lagbaja family of Ilobu. We lost a rare breed, a gentleman and a true patriot to the cold hand of death.
“Our late brother has a big vision of operational reforms for the Nigerian Army. He launched out and commenced the implementation of root and branch reform of the Nigerian Army. Within his short stint in office, he enforced professionalism and battled terrorists and bandits with terrifying fierceness.
“Our late brother was a very hardworking officer, a true workaholic, a fierce soldier, a replica of the traditional army officer with an ambitious plan for modernization and integration of the Nigerian Army.
“In my last encounter with him, he exuded hope and aspirations of a better Nigeria with the military as a stabilizer and unifier of the federation. In late General Lagbaja, we had a great military leader with the poise, the confidence and the firmness to realize the vision of a new Nigerian Army.
“Unfortunately, the end came suddenly. We surrendered to the will of the Almighty creator. I commiserate with the Commander-in-Chief, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the men and women of the Nigerian Armed Forces, my people of Ilobu and the great Lagbaja family.
“We mourn together on this sad occasion. On behalf of the people and Government of Osun State, we extend commiseration to Mrs. Mariya Lagbaja and the two children”, Governor Adeleke noted in a statement he personally signed.
Former Senate President Ahmed Lawan in his condolence message in a statement on Wednesday said it was with a heavy heart that he received the demise of Gen Lagbaja.
Lawan, who was Chairman, Senate Committee on Defence, said: “It is with a heavy heart that I learned of the passing of Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, Chief of Army Staff of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“On behalf of the Senate Committee on Defence, I extend our deepest condolences to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Gwabin Musa; the family of the deceased, the Nigerian Army, and the entire nation.
“Lt. Gen. Lagbaja was a dedicated and patriotic officer who served the country with distinction. As Chief of Army Staff, he played a significant role……….”
Gov. Mbah of Enugu State described Gen. Lagbaja as a gallant and patriotic officer, who gave his all to the nation.
Expressing deep grief over the death of the Chief of Army Staff, Governor Mbah equally described Lagbaja’s death as a personal loss to the government and people of Enugu State.
Mbah said: “I received with a deep sense of loss the sad news of the passing of the former Chief of the Army Staff, the late Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja. This is a grave loss to not only the Nigerian Army and the entire nation, but also a personal loss to the government and people of Enugu State where he served as the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 82 Division, Nigerian Army, from March 2021 to August 2022.
“He was a distinguished officer, who saw it all and deservedly rose to the apex of his chosen career. From the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, to the United States’ Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC), the various Army High Commands he superintended and ultimately s the Chief of Army Staff………”
Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, in his condolence message signed by his Press Secretary, Christian Aburime.
Soludo extended his deepest condolences to President Tinubu, the Nigerian Army, and the bereaved family of the late General Lagbaja on the irreparable loss.
Soludo further described General Lagbaja’s untimely departure at the age of 56 as a huge loss to the Nigerian Army and the nation in general, reiterating that General Lagbaja’s distinguished military career, marked by his exceptional service and dedication to our nation’s security, serves as a tribute to his uncompromising commitment to Nigeria’s unity and progress.
