•Late Lt. General Taoreed Lagbaja
The late Chief Of Army Staff, Taoreed Lagbaja will be buried tomorrow, Thursday and Friday.
His burial announcement issued by the Acting COAS, Lieutenant General OO Oluyode on behalf of the Nigerian Army today, said the service of songs for the late COAS who died on November 5, will be held at the Army headquarters’ garrison parade ground, Mogadishu cantonment, in Abuja.
The service of songs will be followed by a funeral service at the National Christian Centre, Abuja on Friday.
Lagbaja passed at the age of 56.
According to a statement released by President Bola Tinubu’s spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, Lagbaja passed away in Lagos after a period of illness.
Lagbaja becomes the second Chief of Army Staff to die in office in the last three years since Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, who died just months into his tenure in 2021.
Born on February 28, 1968, Lagbaja served as the Chief of Army Staff for one year and four months following his appointment to the position by President Tinubu in June 2023.
His 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.
Lt. General Lagbaja also served 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.
