Nigeria is mourning following yet, the death of another Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. General Taoreed Lagbaja, who passed away on Tuesday in Lagos after a period of illness.
Lagbaja died barely a year after he was appointed by President Bola Tinubu, marking a tragic blow to the nation’s military leadership.
Reports have it that President Tinubu had on Friday, November 1, appointed 56-year-old Olufemi Oluyede, who was only promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General on Tuesday, as acting Chief of Army Staff, pending the expected return of Lagbaja from medical leave. But that was not to be.
Lagbaja’s death also marks the second time an Army Chief will die in active service within three years, and the third time since the Nigerian Civil War.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, President Bola Tinubu, has announced the passing of Lt. General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja, Chief of the Army Staff. He was aged 56.
A statement by the Presidency signed by Bayo Onanuga said Lagbaja passed away on Tuesday night in Lagos after a period of illness.
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.
“President Tinubu expresses his heartfelt condolences to the family and the Nigerian Armed Forces during this difficult time. He wishes Lt. General Lagbaja eternal peace and honours his significant contributions to the nation,” the Special Adviser to the President
(Information and Strategy) Onanuga stated.
Below is a brief about two other Army Chiefs who died in office:
1 – Joseph Akahan (August 1967): Appointed shortly before the outbreak of the Nigerian Civil War in 1967, Akahan died in a helicopter crash on his way to his hometown of Gboko in present-day Benue State, after visiting the frontlines in Nsukka, in the defunct Eastern Region.
2 – Lt. General Ibrahim Attahiru, appointed in January 2021 to replace Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai as COAS, died just months into his tenure in May 2021. Attahiru died when his aircraft reportedly encountered severe weather conditions and crashed, killing him and 10 members of his entourage while on an official assignment from Abuja to Kaduna State.