The Acting Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, has paid a condolence visit to Mrs. Mariya Lagbaja and other family members of the late Lieutenant General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja, Nigeria’s 23rd Chief of Army Staff, who passed away on Tuesday, November 5, after a brief illness.
Gen. Oluyede visited the family on Wednesday, November 6, 2024, at the Flag Staff House, Niger Barracks, Abuja, accompanied by Principal Staff Officers from the Army Headquarters, Corps Commanders, and General Officers Commanding of the Nigerian Army.
Paying tribute to the late COAS, Gen. Oluyede extolled his gallantry, dedication, and the legacies he left behind throughout his service in the Nigerian Army and the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
In a message penned in the condolence register opened in honor of the late COAS, the Acting COAS wrote: “It is with a huge sense of loss, albeit responsibility, that I, on behalf of the officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army, commiserate with Mrs. Mariya Lagbaja, the children, and the entire Lagbaja clan over the passing of our dogged, gallant, and extremely dedicated leader, Lieutenant General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja (Nigerian Army Medal), the Chief of Army Staff of the Nigerian Army. Lt. Gen. Lagbaja, without doubt, gave his all to the service of our dear nation. This was evident in his dedication to duty and the legacies he has left behind. We can only take solace in the fact that we cannot question the Almighty. We surely owe him a great deal. Rest in peace, our leader and hero. You will surely be missed.”
It will be recalled that the late Lieutenant General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja was appointed Chief of Army Staff on June 19, 2023, by the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and formally assumed command of the Nigerian Army as the 23rd COAS on June 23, 2023.
A seasoned infantry officer, the late General Lagbaja was commissioned in 1992 as a member of the 39th Regular Combatant Course of the prestigious Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna. He distinguished himself as a Special Forces Commander and a military leader par excellence, holding several key appointments throughout his exemplary career. He served as the General Officer Commanding 82 and 1 Divisions of the Nigerian Army in Enugu and Kaduna, respectively. He also commanded 9 Brigade Ikeja and 2 Brigade Uyo, as well as 72 Special Forces Battalion on two separate tours of duty. Before assuming command of the Nigerian Army as the 23rd Chief of Army Staff, he served as the Chief of Operations (Army), where he coordinated all operational activities of the Nigerian Army. As Chief of Army Staff, he worked tirelessly to combat terrorism, banditry, and other security challenges faced by the nation.
ONYEMA NWACHUKWU
Major General
Director Army Public Relations
6 November 2024
