Nigeria is mourning the unexpected death of Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, who passed away on Tuesday in Lagos after a brief illness.
His passing, less than a year after his appointment by President Bola Tinubu, has dealt a significant blow to the nation’s military leadership.
Lagbaja’s death marks the third instance of a Chief of Army Staff dying while in office, adding to a list of tragic losses among Nigeria’s military heads.
Read Also: Things You Don’t Know About Late Chief Of Army Staff Lagbaja
Here are the former COAS who died in office:
Joseph Akahan (August 1967)
Joseph Akahan, aged 30, became Army Chief just before the Nigerian Civil War broke out in 1967. Following a visit to the frontlines in Nsukka, he returned to Gboko, his hometown, for a short rest. While en route back to Makurdi, his helicopter crashed, killing him and the two pilots onboard.
Ibrahim Attahiru (May 21, 2021)
Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, appointed in January 2021 to replace Tukur Buratai, passed away only months into his tenure. His appointment, along with other service chiefs including Lucky Irabor (Chief of Defence Staff), Zubairu Gambo (Chief of Naval Staff), and Isiaka Amao (Chief of Air Staff), followed mounting calls for a leadership overhaul amid worsening security issues. Tragically, while traveling from Abuja to Kaduna on an official assignment, Attahiru’s aircraft encountered severe weather and crashed, killing him and 10 others in his entourage.
Taoreed Lagbaja (November 5, 2024)
An alumnus of the U.S. Army War College, Lagbaja joined the Nigerian Army in 1992. Before his appointment as COAS on June 19, 2023, he served in various key roles, including as a platoon commander in the 93 Battalion and the 72 Special Forces Battalion. He played a central role in several internal security operations, such as Operation ZAKI in Benue, Lafiya Dole in Borno, Udoka in the Southeast, and Operation Forest Sanity across Kaduna and Niger States. Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga confirmed that Lagbaja passed away in Lagos following a brief illness.
He has since been succeeded by his classmate from the Nigerian Defence Academy, Olufemi Oluyede, who was appointed acting Chief of Army Staff last Wednesday as Lagbaja had been indisposed for several weeks.
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