November 15, (THEWILL) – It was the end of an illustrious military career on Friday, as the late Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Taoreed Lagbaja, was laid to rest at the National Military Cemetery in Abuja.
Present at the occasion were President Bola Tinubu and his wife, Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu; Vice President Kashim Shettima; the leadership of National Assembly, led by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas; Chairman, Nigeria’s Governors Forum, Abdulrazak Abdulraham; Governor of Plateau State, Caleb Mutfwang; Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Umo Eno; Members of the Executive Council; Chief Justice of the Federation, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
Others included the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, Director General of the Directorate of State Security Service, Adeola Oluwatosin, Former NSA, Babagana Munguno, Members of the Diplomatic Corps, and Royal Fathers, amongst others.
Draped in Nigeria’s green and white colours, Lagbaja’s casket arrived at the cemetery at about 3 pm in a white funeral wagon after a funeral service at the National Christian Centre in Abuja.
The Burial rites began with the setting of the casket by the Pallbearers, Faith Service/Opening Prayer, the Last Post and a Minute’s silence for the departed Army Chief. After the Reading of the Funeral Oration, the Acting Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, presented the national flag to Lagbaja’s next of kin.
The casket holding the remains of the late CoAS was lowered into the grave at about 4.41p.m after President Tinubu led other dignitaries including the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, the Defence Minister, to lay wreaths in his honour.
The Presidency announced the demise of the late Army Chief who passed away on Tuesday, November 5, at age 56.
Born on February 28, 1968, Lt. General Lagbaja was appointed Chief of Army Staff on June 19, 2023, by President Tinubu.
Lagbaja’s 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.
Throughout his service, Lt. General Lagbaja demonstrated exceptional leadership and commitment, serving as a platoon commander in the 93 Battalion and the 72 Special Forces Battalion. He played pivotal roles in numerous internal security operations, including Operation ZAKI in Benue State, Lafiya Dole in Borno, Udoka in Southeast Nigeria, and Operation Forest Sanity across Kaduna and Niger States.
An alumnus of the U.S. Army War College, Lagbaja earned a Master’s degree in Strategic Studies, demonstrating his dedication to professional growth and excellence in military leadership.
The late CoAS is survived by his wife, Mariya, and their two children.
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