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1.2.2. 18+ SEE. VIDEO: MAN. KILLED. MOTHER. FOR .RITUALS Because X-Mas IS NEAR.Lagbaja Taoreed, Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS), passed away in the dark hours of Tuesday, November 5th, in Lagos, leaving behind his wife, Mariya, and two children. Born on Feb. 28, 1968, in Ilobu, Irepodun Local Government Area, Osun State, Lagbaja was admitted to the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1987 as part of the 39th Regular Course. ...READ THE FULL STORY FROM SOURCE ...READ THE FULL STORY FROM SOURCE
Lagbaja held command positions in several military operations, including Operation Harmony IV in the Bakassi Peninsula, the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Operation ZAKI, before being appointed COAS by President Bola Tinubu on June 19, 2023.
The COAS, the highest office in the Nigerian Army and held by an appointed high-ranking officer, is responsible for formulating and executing national security policies in direct collaboration with the Defence Minister. Lagbaja spent 499 days in office before his demise.
His death followed weeks of controversy over his absence from office and the Nigerian Army’s refusal to provide specific details about his whereabouts. Sahara Reporters had earlier reported on Oct. 15 that Lagbaja’s prolonged absence from official duties sparked concern among top generals in the Army, emphasising that he was sick and had been secretly flown abroad by family members for medical attention.
The report, made three weeks earlier, cited multiple undisclosed sources and revealed his absence from notable events, including the combined passing-out parade of the 71 Regular Course of the Army, Navy, and Air Force on September 28 from Army headquarters.
Lagbaja was also said to have missed the Army War College Nigeria Course 8/2024 graduation dinner and award night in Abuja on Oct. 2, 2024, where he was supposed to be the chief host.
After facing intense criticism following the Sahara Reporters report, which also highlighted a suspected leadership vacuum, the Army disclosed on Oct. 19 that Lagbaja was abroad on an annual leave and medical checkup and refuted claims of a leadership vacuum.
However, on Oct. 20, social media was flooded with claims that the COAS had died of cancer and that his death was being kept a secret due to “intense lobbying by some generals who want the position.” The Army dismissed these claims as fake news.
On Oct. 31, President Tinubu appointed Lagbaja’s coursemate, Olufemi Oluyede, as acting COAS. Confirming reports of Lagbaja’s incapacitation, Tinubu officially promoted Oluyede to lieutenant-general on November 5.
The following day, headlines reported Lagbaja’s death, relying on a statement by Bayo Onanuga, the special adviser on information and strategy to the president, stating that Lagbaja “passed away on Tuesday night in Lagos after a period of illness.”
“Lagbaja’s Death Is Human-Influenced”— Family Speculates
Pa Tajudeen Lagbaja, head of the Lagbaja family and the younger brother of the late COAS’s father, was quick to suggest that the COAS death may have been caused by diabolical means. He mentioned that the COAS could have fallen victim due to a lingering land dispute in the family’s hometown.
Speaking to The Nation, Pa Tajudeen said the dispute began in 2023 and involved the Nigerian Army’s plans to establish a hospital in Ilobu, the headquarters of Irepodun Local Government Area in Osun State.
Regretting that he was the one who obtained the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) form for the late COAS, Pa Tajudeen lamented, “The death that took Taoreed Lagbaja ought to have taken me. I took him as one of my children.” He added, “His passing has left us deeply bereaved.”
Cancer, Poison, What Exactly?
While the death of Lagbaja Taoreed was announced on November 6th by Bayo Onanuga, the statement noted that the COAS passed away after a period of illness, avoiding any specific details. Social media users, not entirely trusting the statement, especially due to the Army’s initial denial that Lagbaja was ill, speculate he may have died of cancer or poisoning.
In a post he made on Facebook on November 7th, Babajide Kolade-Otitoju, the Group Head of Current & Public Affairs of News (TVC News) at TVC Communications, indicated he knows the late COAS, suggesting he died of pancreatic cancer. Also, one Jackson Ude on X, in an unconfirmed claim, said the late COAS died from poison.
The Army is still yet to disclose the exact cause of his death and might not, as the late COAS burial has been scheduled for Friday, November 15th, at the military cemetery in Abuja.
Nigerians Mourn His Passing
To many, Lagbaja’s passing may seem like just another loss of a high-ranking military officer, prompting the usual wave of public condolences. But for his family, this loss is a bitter pill, far too painful to swallow. Pa Tajudeen noted that the late COAS had given the family hope, with many promises that were left unfulfilled. However, his only consolation was the reports of Lagbaja’s good deeds before his demise.
Still grieving the COAS death, some traditionalists in Osun State described it as unnatural. According to Tribune, one of the traditionalists, Awopegba Ifagbemi, said the town’s residents are still mourning the loss and urged the Federal Government to release Lagbaja’s corpse to them to conduct necessary spiritual exercises.
More waves of condolences also greeted Lagbaja’s demise, from government officials to political leaders and the entire country.
Peter Obi, former governor of Anambra State and 2023 presidential candidate, called Lagbaja’s death a painful loss that has created a significant vacuum in the country. Reflecting on the loss, Obi extended prayers and heartfelt sympathy to Lagbaja’s family, Nigeria’s military, and government, describing the COAS’s passing as irreplaceable.
“General Taoreed Lagbaja is a patriot,” former President Muhammadu Buhari declared, praising the late COAS as one of Nigeria’s finest soldiers.
National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, too, hailed him as among Nigeria’s most exemplary military officers.
Adding to the tributes, Minister of Women Affairs Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim led a delegation of women leaders to offer their condolences to Mariya Lagbaja, the COAS’s widow, encouraging her to find strength in the country’s support.
Acting COAS Olufemi Oluyede, accompanied by high-ranking officers, also visited to offer sympathies and support, honouring the late COAS’s dedication and praising him as a “gallant and extremely dedicated leader” who will surely be missed.
In tribute, the Nigerian Army flag flies at half-mast, honouring the legacy of the late COAS.
Like Lagbaja, Others Have Died in Office
Just like Lagbaja, other high-ranking military officers have been defeated by death. Joseph Akahan, appointed COAS in May 1967 under General Yakubu Gowon shortly before the Nigerian Civil War, was among them.
Akahan was reportedly the strategist behind the sea-borne operations led by Lt. Colonel Benjamin Adekunle, which resulted in the capture of Bonny in July 1967. Tragically, he died in a helicopter crash in May 1968, after which General Hassan Katsina succeeded him as COAS.
More recently, on May 21, 2021, a plane crash claimed the life of Ibrahim Attahiru, the COAS appointed by former President Muhammadu Buhari in January 2021. Attahiru, along with ten others on board, lost his life while travelling on a Nigerian Air Force Beechcraft King Air 350. He was heading to Kaduna on May 22, 2021, for an official visit to attend the 80RRI’s Passing Out Parade at Depot Nigerian Army. The memories of all the deceased COAS, however, live on in the heart of the country they served and their loved ones.…READ THE FULL STORY FROM SOURCE ↔️
