Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, has mourned the passing of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Taoreed Lagbaja, describing it as a sad loss to the country.
Makinde, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media, Sulaimon Olanrewaju, in Ibadan, the state capital, described Lagbaja as “a patriot and one of the finest military officers the country has produced .
“My condolences go to the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Bola Tinubu, and to the Nigerian Army.
“I also commiserate with the immediate family of the late Chief of Army Staff, as well as the government and people of Osun State on the passing of their illustrious son. I pray to Allah to grant his soul eternal rest.”
Lagbaja’s death was confirmed in a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Wednesday.
In the statement titled Announcement of the Passing of Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja, Onanuga stated that Lagbaja passed away on Tuesday night in Lagos following a period of illness. did not disclose the illness.
Lagbaja, who died at 56, served as the Chief of Army Staff for one year and four months following his appointment to the position by President Tinubu in June 2023.
His military career began when he enrolled in the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1987. On September 19, 1992, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Nigerian Infantry Corps as a member of the 39th Regular Course.
