The Nigerian Army has refuted the rumor regarding the alleged death of General Taoreed Lagbaja, Chief of Army Staff.
This speculation, which quickly spread online, originated from a tweet by Jackson Ude, a former presidential aide and social media commentator.
“CHIEF OF ARMY STAFF DIES OF CANCER The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, has died. Lagbaja died in an undisclosed hospital overseas nearly 48hrs ago from a stage three Cancer, according to a senior Government official. The death of the Chief of Army staff has been kept secret because of intense lobbying by some Generals who want to take the position. Lagbaja, born on February 28, 1968, in Ilobu, Osun State, was appointed by President Bola Tinubu in June 2023, as the 27th Chief of Army Staff,” Ude had tweeted at exactly 12:49pm.
However, the Nigerian Army, which has repeatedly denied reports about the General’s alleged illness, labeled Ude’s tweet as FAKE NEWS on X.
Read Also: BREAKING: Army Reacts To Reports Of COAS Lagbaja Death
On Saturday, Army spokesman Onyema Nwachukwu dismissed media reports claiming a leadership vacuum due to Lagbaja’s absence, stating that the General is on official leave.
He noted that Major General Abdulsalami Ibrahim, Chief of Policy and Plans (Army), has been designated to act on Lagbaja’s behalf during this time. Nwachukwu, a major general himself, emphasized that Lagbaja’s absence is not impacting the operations of the service.
“There have even been insinuations that there is a leadership vacuum, with officers confused about what to do. Nothing could be further from the truth.”
“To be very clear, the Nigerian Army is a highly structured establishment with well-laid-out procedures and processes for dealing with different circumstances. Before proceeding on leave, necessary protocols were put in place for the Chief of Policy and Plans (Army), Major General Abdulsalami Bagudu Ibrahim, to act on behalf of the COAS while he was away.
“This is not peculiar to the NA, as there have been instances where unforeseen human frailty kept service chiefs away for about three months, and their Chiefs of Policy and Plans held sway in their absence. Claims of a leadership vacuum in the NA at present are therefore mere speculation, as all routine and scheduled activities of the service are on course.”
The army spokesman stated that all routine and scheduled activities of the service are proceeding as planned, noting that the relevant departmental chiefs are fully executing their responsibilities in accordance with the Chief of Army Staff’s directives.
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