- The Nigerian Army has denied claims of the death of Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, dismissing them as "fake news"
- While denying his death, sources confirm that Lagbaja is critically ill and undergoing treatment abroad
- The Army has retired 15 generals in what is set to be a significant organisational shift
The Nigerian Army has officially refuted rumours regarding the death of Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, which circulated widely on social media over the weekend.
The rumours originated from a post that claimed Lagbaja had succumbed to stage three cancer in an undisclosed hospital overseas.
The report, which gained traction on social media, stated that the army chief had died 48 hours prior and suggested that the news was being suppressed due to internal lobbying among senior military officers vying for his position.
Lt. Gen. Lagbaja, born on February 28, 1968, in Ilobu, Osun State, was appointed by President Bola Tinubu as the 27th Chief of Army Staff in June 2023.
In response to the rumours, the Nigerian Army took to X (formerly Twitter) to label the claims as "fake news."
However, sources within the Army Headquarters confirmed that while Lagbaja is not deceased, he is currently critically ill and receiving treatment abroad.
"We should be praying for him at this critical time and not spreading rumours that he died," one source noted.
Despite the rumours surrounding the COAS, the Army also announced the retirement of 15 generals. The retired officers, primarily from the Artillery Corps, include 11 Major Generals and 4 Brigadier Generals.
The retirement ceremony took place at the Nigerian Army School of Artillery in Kachia, Kaduna State, on October 19, 2024.
During the event, Major General James Myam (retd) spoke on behalf of the retirees, expressing gratitude for their long careers and attributing their successes to divine grace.
He thanked President Bola Tinubu for the opportunity to serve and extended best wishes to Lt. Gen. Lagbaja, calling for continued strength and wisdom in his leadership.
Major General Myam also reflected on their initial training at the Nigerian Defence Academy, advising current officers to uphold loyalty to the constitution and the democratically elected government while remaining vigilant in their duties.
The ceremony was attended by numerous senior retired and active military officers, including former Chief of Army Staff, Maj. Gen. Alwali Kazir (retd).
Army deploys troops to protect farmers in the North, as banditry, terrorism rise
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that the Federal Government deployed troops across the northern states to secure the farmers from terrorists and other forms of criminal activity.
Some Northern states, however, said they didn't get military deployment as directed by the Defence Headquarters.
