Lagbaja not dead, says Army

The Nigerian Army has debunked the rumour flying around on the purported death of General Taoreed Lagbaja, Chief of Army Staff.

The rumour, which has since gone viral, started after a tweet from Jackson Ude, 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.

But the Nigerian Army, which has consistently denied reports on the alleged ailment of the General, stamped Ude’s tweet with FAKE NEWS on X.

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On Saturday, Onyema Nwachukwu, Army spokesman, dismissed media reports suggesting that there is leadership vacuum following the absence of Lagbaja, saying he is on official leave, and necessary protocols had been put in place for the Chief of Policy and Plans (Army), Major General Abdulsalami Ibrahim, to act on his behalf during his absence.

Nwachukwu, a major general, emphasised that Lagbaja’s absence is not affecting 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 said all routine and scheduled activities of the service are on course, adding that the appropriate departmental chiefs are fully carrying out their responsibilities in line with the COAS directives.