Newsbreak: Nigerian Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja, passes away at 56

November 06, 2024

By Samuel Ogunsona

Lt. General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja, the Chief of Army Staff of Nigeria, has passed away at the age of 56 after a brief illness.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, regrets to announce the passing of Lt. General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja.

He 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.

He was appointed to this position by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on June 19, 2023.

Before his appointment, Lagbaja served as General Officer Commanding Headquarters 82 Division from March 2021 to August 2022 and Headquarters 1 Division from August 2022 to June 2023.

He attended St Charles Grammar School and Local Authority Teachers College in Osogbo. Later, he enrolled in the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1987 as a member of the 39th Regular Course.

Lagbaja obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Geography from the Nigerian Defence Academy in 2001 and a Master’s degree in Strategic Studies from the US Army War College.

Lagbaja’s military career spanned over three decades. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant on September 19, 1992, into the Nigerian Infantry Corps.

He participated in various military operations, including Operation HARMONY IV in Bakassi Peninsula, United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Operation ZAKI in Benue State, Operation Lafiya Dole, and Operation Forest Sanity in Kaduna/Niger states.

President Tinubu has expressed his heartfelt condolences to the family and the Nigerian Armed Forces during this difficult time.